Auralia sits on her cot, knees pulled up to her chest, watching.

Marila giggles, "Is it still hot outside?"

It is currently 4:13 p.m. on day 2 of month 9 in Turn 26 of the 10th Pass. The season is currently spring. (Remember we are in the southern hemisphere!)

Raven nods, breathing heavily. "I'm not going to survive this sevenday!"

Katolnar comes dragging in, and nods glumly. "Hot enough to fry a dragon's egg." The lad has a nice case of sunburn - likely from too much time in the lake.

Auralia makes a face, "Ugh. I just hope the eggs don't hatch until this heat is less. That'd be pretty horrible, you know. Imagine this heat magnitized by the heat of the sands." She looks pained.

Marila glances at Katolnar, "You look like an over done spiderclaw.."

Katolnar shrugs. His voice is rather doleful, "They've been bringing folks in adragonback all day. Seems it'll be soon. And our luck to get utterly roasted on the sands." He nods to Marila. "I *feel* like an overdone spiderclaw. Or is it a rocktail? I like rocktail better anyway." He settles gingerly on the edge of his cot.

Auralia covors her face in her hands, "Just our luck, huh?"

Raven points out quickly, "They've not yet begun to hum, so we've still got a little bit of time to cool off... Anyone up for a swim?"

Auralia raises a hand, "Me! A swim'd be great."

Imara has been sleeping soundly on her cot. She blinks as she slowly awakens. "Why did I have to wake up?" she mumbles, wiping beads of sweat from her face. "I was dreaming of the freezing cold mountains in Telgar."

Raven smiles and nods, standing and grabbing a towel. "Come on then."

Raven walks toward the Lakeside Meadow.
Raven has left.

Katolnar winces at Raven. "Healers've ordered me out of the sun for a while. Cooling off too much."

Auralia walks toward the Lakeside Meadow.
Auralia has left.

Katolnar pulls a small jar of oil out of his press and lures his little blue off his pillow. Absently, he starts to seamr oil on the little thing's hide, as it fairly hums with delight. "So, Marila, your family gonna be here? Other than Shasta, I mean?"

Marila chews her bottom lip, "I think so Katolnar. i'm scared out of my mind."

Katolnar nods to Marila. "Well, I mean, you've at least seen 'em hatch before." He shrugs though, and considers, "I guess if I can stand up to Jeuneth, I'll be okay on the sands."

Miranor rubs her eyes and the moisture that's built up on her forehead during an unplanned but much-needed nap. Sitting upright on her cot, she blinks over at the near-finished robe at her side, needle and single-threaded string still stuck in a sleeve. "Scared of what, Marila," she wonders as she awakes into the conversation.

Marila shakes her head, "I haven't seen them hatch before."

"The eggs?" Duh. Miranor picks her robe back up and goes about sinking in the last few needed stitches. "I've never seen any, either. Well, except a firelizard's or two, but that surely is not the same," she remarks.

Marila reaches under her bed and pulls out her robe. She stares at it for a moment, then shoves it under her pillows

Katolnar arches his eyebrows. "Really, Mari? I thought you had." He shrugs. "Must've been someone else then. I'm *nervous*, but I don't think I'm scared." Or if he were, he'd likely never admit to it.

Miranor shivers, despite the nearly unbearable heat that has gripped the area. "I'm scared but that alon-in-the-dark scared, if you know what I mean," she says and glances around for familiar features on other faces. "Like I know there's nothing to worry about...but there's that chance..."

Katolnar nods to Miranor. "Makes sense. One way or another, soon's we walk out on those sands, everything changes. Whether we impress or not. But everything's a risk, right?"

Miranor's head bobs several times. "Everything is, true enough," she remarks agreeably.

Marila chews her bottom lip, "Maybe we should get something to eat."

Katolnar shakes his head. "I couldn't eat. The heat's so bad..."

Marila tilts her head, "Not even fruit?"

Gemini stretches out on his cot and stares at the ceiling.

Katolnar grins wryly at Marila, "I'm gonna turn into a citron if I eat just one more."

Marila laughs!

"I had some fruit and juice earlier," Miranor pipes in after the final threads are added to her functional robe. "Then, well..." pointing to the pillow-creases lining her cheek, she shrugs.

Katolnar nods to Miranor. "Wish I could sleep. But this burn - even numbed it just makes me feel all stretched and odd. First time I've ever *been* burned."

Gemini turns his head and looks over at Kat "What happened?" as he notices the burn after hearing it out of Kat's mouth.

Katolnar shurgs slightly at Gemini. "Too much time in the lake, the healers said. They want me indoors mostly over the next few days."

Miranor blinks and then grins a bit, studying Katolnar a bit. "Shards, you do have a nasty burn," she remarks unnecessarily. "The heat has got to make it feel awful...believe it or not, butter helps. Silly as that may sound."

Katolnar shakes his head at Miranor. "Healers said aloe and keep it numbed a bit."

Gemini makes a face "Too bad...but at least it's a bit cooler in here.." as he brushes back the errant curl that falls in his eyes.

Marila nods to Katolnar, "Little bit of lanolin should help."

Miranor bobs her head and then pulls her robe over her clothes. Tugging here and there to see if her work will actually hold up, she says, "Well, they'd surely know better than I. Jays, though," and winces slightly.

Katolnar points out, a trifle defensively, "Doesn't *hurt*. Not with the weed on it. Just feels... well, like my skin's a size too small."

Arliana strides over from the Lakeside Meadow.
Arliana has arrived.

Nareisa has arrived.

Marila laughs, "The lanolin will make your skin soft." She wiggles her fingers, "I use some of it on my hands after I get done digging.."

Craw strides over from the Lakeside Meadow.
Craw has arrived.

Miranor, seemingly satisfied with her robe, pulls it back over her head and lies it beside her. Dabbing her forehead with the heel of her shirt, she sighs. "Well, if anything this weather has surely prepared us a bit for what it's going to be like out there," she muses aloud.

Marila hmmms, and brushes her hair out.

Arliana tromps her way across the room, grabbing up a half-mended robe. She stitches rapidly at it, her stitches a rather sharp contrast to the other neatly made ones elsewhere in teh robe.

Katolnar grins at Marila and murmurs, "Oh, is *that* how you manage that?"

Marila sicks her tounge out at Katolnar, "Got to do something."

Katolnar just grins at Marila, and wipes his hands on a rag. The little blue he's been oiling carefully curls up on his pillow, helpfully smearing oil all over it.

Imara sits up and brushes hair away from her face. She blinks sleepily as she looks around the room. "I'm not sure I'll be able to stay awake in this heat..."

Arliana says "How can you sleep in it though?"

Imara shrugs, "I guess it's because I'm used to it. It just makes me very sleepy."

Marila flushes and glances back to her hair brush, she brushes her hair out again then ties her hair back a touch.

Arliana ohs, stitching at her robe nervously, "How much longer?"

Auralia has arrived.
Raven has arrived.

Nareisa wanders in. "It's hot," she announces. You're surprised, right?

N'all walks over from the Lakeside Meadow.
N'all has arrived.

Katolnar grins at Reisa. "No. Really?"

Auralia comes in from the lake, dripping wet, "Its hot even just out of the water!" she wails.

Raven is drying her hair with a towel, giggling at Auralia.

Arliana wrinkles her nose, "We know we know."

Marila finishes tying back her hair, she giggles, "Well of course it is.. I thought it looked more like fish soup than water.." She grins

Katolnar grimaces at the thought. "Soup. Gah. In this heat."

Miranor blinks a bit as the Weyrlingmaster enters. Her robe gets another scrutinizing...and hopeful...looking-over. To the other conversations, she says, "I've never felt a season like this."

Nareisa ughs. "It's..." she flaps her shirt, overlarge and mismatched. "Do I smell?"

[Time pases...]

Candidate Waiting Room
You stand in the Candidate Waiting Room of Southern Weyr. This is a large room, directly off the sands where the candidates are gathered together before they are presented to the sands. There are benches to sit on, many of which have the names of previous candidates carved on them - something done to pass the nervous time of waiting.
An arched doorway is set in the west wall, and a few steps lead down from there to the path outside, and smaller arches lead into the male and female barracks.
Contents:
Auralia
Raven
Conor
N'all

With sweat dripping down her face, Auralia looks around, waiting, and watching for what is to come. She shakes, slightly.

Aidan crosses, uncrosses, crosses, and uncrosses his arms again; cross, uncross, continually following this pattern as lower lip is chewed on. He pauses his routine to wipe a shaking hand across his sweaty brow; the heat has gotten to him and beyond, it would seem.

N'all walks in, and booms out, "Silence!" Two people coming in with him are straining, carrying two buckets.

Arliana leans against a wall, quiet, looking fairly composed.

Marila is surrounded by a pair of firelizards briefly, one is hideously ugly, the other is normal. She takes the notes from them and then hurriedly chases the pair away.

Miranor's head shrinks into her shoulders at the command. She can't help but look at it's source.

Raven looks over at N'all, standing beside Auralia and Imara, biting her lip and tapping her toe quietly.

Nareisa freezes, mid shirt-flap, looking up, questioningly. "H..." no, this doesn't look like a good time.

From the Sands> An oceanic blue appears from *between* and chirples curiously as he lands.

Conor wipes his face, and then wipes his hands on his rose, leaving soft dark patches behind. His eyes go to N'all and he waits patiently.

Gemini wipes the sweat from his brow, robe already becoming damp. Hair is pushed back as head turns quickly to look at N'all.

N'all motions to the men who set the buckets down, they have ladles in them, "Everyone here will drink two ladles of water. It's really hot outside." He slaps on a wide-brimmed straw hat and has a large drink of some sort in his hand. He looks like a big, mean, cabana boy.

Imara taps her foot nervously. To stop it, she steps on the offending food. She looks at N'all and nods.

Katolnar nods, moving to his turn in line. Despite his sunburn, he looks fairly composed.

Marila glances at the water and wrinkles her nose, "Do we um have to drink the water sir?"

Raven stands in line, nervously wringing her hands.

From the Sands> Rnayth is clearly awake, and looming protectively over the eggs where he sits back on his orangy bronze haunches beside Tiarnath. His tail twitches, swishing back and forth in a flurry of action. He rumbles deeply, the growly sound echoing through the cavern.

N'all nods to Marila, "If you don't, you may passout, and then you will be under the feet of the hatchlings, do you want that to happen?"

"Water? Oh please!" Auralia moves towards the buckets with speed, pushing other out of the way to get to it. She drinks, long and hard, obviously annoyed when her two ladels are finished.

Gemini moves towards the line as well, trying to contain his nervousness and doing a fairly good job of it.

Conor drinks, and then fills the ladel to pass it on to the person behind him.

Arliana says "I'd drink it. You could.. " She stops, then nods, "It's important. Even if you don't faint, you could still get heatsick."

Miranor gets on line for the water. At her turn she drinks almost greedily and then wipes her lips. Moving out of the way for the others behind her, she glances around the room almost curiously.

From the Sands> K'laarn strides over from the entrance to the hatching cavern.

Nareisa nods, "It /is/ hot," she mumbles. She said that already of course. Flap flap shirt. "Hatch..." okay, of course, she remembers. She doesn't protest the drinking at all, just waits her turn with nervousness quite evident.

Shadara hmmms and gets a drink from a water flask, "Want me to wait on the sands now N'all?

Aidan is patient as he waits in line--ok, so he's anything but. He does, however, manage to keep from pushing and pulling his way to the front to get to the water. Finally, though, he makes it, and the water is gulped down; the one ladle first, the next following shortly after.

Raven drinks from the ladle.

Marila wrinkles her nose but drinks the water with an irritating slowness as she sips at it.

Gemini drinks his share, two ladels full. Turning to hand the ladel to the next as he licks his lips of the moisture.

Imara gulps up her two ladlefulls as it is handed to her, and passes it on to the next person.

N'all waits until everyone's done, "Those of you who are still thirsty, may have some more. Also, don't over drink." He shakes his head to Shadara, "You'll go out with the first group, you and T'dru."

Arliana gets her requisite ladles of water, then steps out of the way for the people behind her.

From the Sands> Telinda turns, smiling to K'laarn as he rushes out to the sands, hand wiping hair from her face, "It's happening again!" she calls over to him.

Theida stands in line, nodding to N'all, but mostly concerned with her robe. Her constant twitching and tugging a twisting gives the idea that she is /really/ uncmfortable in this getup. When it's her turn, she drinks from the ladel and returns to her robe.

Katolnar takes his two ladels, and then moves quietly out of the way, ending up next to Marila.

Nareisa takes her sip, somehow having managed to have got /right/ at the end of the line. Must be the shortness. Or something.

Craw takes his turn drinking the water but doesn't say anything, not yet anyways.

T'dru stands patiently to one side, attention fixed intently on N'all.

From the Sands> K'laarn jogs in, not even looking winded. He grins really large and rakes a calloused, wind-roughened hand through his hair to give it a last minute straighten. "Rnayth just told me." He says as he approaches Telinda. Rnayth seems pleased to see K'laarn, greeting him with a brassy trumpet that fills the air . The Weyrleader laughs, tossing his head back to look up at his lifemate. "What? I wouldn't miss this, you big brute. I was just out talking to some of the riders." Then he's beside the Weyrwoman, reaching out to her to take her in his arms for an warm embrace, "They're going to hatch now." He says proudly.

Marila grins a touch at Katolnar, she pushes some of her curls out of her eyes.

From the Sands> A few of the eggs in the middle shudder, trickling grains of sand out of the mound.

From the Sands> Rnayth sets to humming, a deep, baritone rumble that seems to radiate through the very stone and reverberate through the air. The bronze gets to his feet and hitches along, pacing briefly -- seeming to be extremely impaitent. Then he settles, sitting back on his haunches in a place very near to Tiarnath, still humming his welcoming song.

N'all looks outside, towards the Sands, "Okay, people, it's time!"

Arliana stands up straight again, hands clasped firmly behind her.

Auralia looks blank, "Time?" Then she realizes. Oh yeah, we're going out onto the sands. Whoops. She moves into place, ready, but not.

"Now?" Marila yelps.

Gemini straightens his robe for the last time as he moves out of the way of a few candidates still needing to drink. He then looks up and makes a bit of a face before again looking calm.

Shadara nods, "Yup, remember to bow to Tiarnath, Rnayth, Telinda and K'laarn."

From the Sands> K'laarn comments. "Rnayth's wondering if they spaced out the eggs enough. Fretful creature!" He accuses, glancing up at the bronze good-naturedly.

Aidan looks up to N'all; are those walnuts on his eyes? No, apparently not. His eyes have widened considerably. "Now?" he echoes Marila.

From the Sands> Tiarnath shifts a little uncomfortably, even for her these sands are now way too hot. A wiggle of a wind cools her down a little, but sends sand towards Telinda, who snorts and waves a hand at the gold to stop that.

N'all says "BOW when you see the queen, for a loose semi-circle."

Katolnar gives Marila an utterly paniced look for a bare moment, and then grins. he leans close to murmur something to her, and then moves on to Nareisa as well."

Marila senses "Katolnar murmurs, "G'luck!""

N'all nods, "Okay, Aidan, Arliana, Auralia go, Shadara and T'dru, too."

You whisper "G'luck you!" to Nareisa.

Shadara strides over to the sizzling hot sands.
Shadara has left.

Aidan gives a quick nod and, giving one more glance to the others, steps onto the Sands.

T'dru nods once and steps quietly out.

Auralia meeps, "Me? First?" Gulp.

T'dru strides over to the sizzling hot sands.
T'dru has left.

Aidan walks toward the sizzling hot sands.
Aidan has left.

Auralia strides over to the sizzling hot sands.
Auralia has left.

Arliana strides over to the sizzling hot sands.
Arliana has left.

Marila grins at Katolnar, "You too."

Nareisa's eyes search for those of her brother's, nervousness apparent, and then, before they have a chance to meet his, she looks down, just for a moment before smiling warmly at Katolnar. "Thanks," she mumbles something back to him.

N'all nods, "Conor, Craw, Gemini, go."

Nareisa whispers "Can I stand next to you?"

Craw strides over to the sizzling hot sands.
Craw has left.

From the Sands> Shadara bows to Telinda and Tiarnath and again to Rnayth and K'laarn before heading over by them, to the cooler section of the sands to wait for those that impress.

Gemini swallows and heads out.

Conor walks toward the sizzling hot sands.
Conor has left.

From the Sands> Auralia bows deeply to Tiarnath, Rnayth, K'laarn and Telinda. She then moves over to the other side of the sands, looking worried.

Gemini strides over to the sizzling hot sands.
Gemini has left.

N'all barks out, "Imara, Katolnar, Marila, go."

From the Sands> Conor blinks a bit, head rocking back slightly from the immense heat. Still, he bows to the dam and sire, before taking a place with the others.

Imara takes a deep breath and smiles nervously at Raven. "See you out on the sands."

From the Sands> First Candidate onto the Sands. Quite a responsibility for this lit--young Candidate. Young, not little. "Don't trip," he murmurs, turning first to Tiarnath. She glances to Shadara and T'dru, and then gives the best bow he can manage with what little breath he can find, and the same treatment is given to Rnayth. Finally, satisfied with his effort, he moves over into his place in the semi-circle.

Imara walks toward the hatching grounds entrance.
Imara has left.

Katolnar grins and nods to Reisa. "See you there."

You walk toward the sizzling hot sands.

Sizzling Hot Sands - Southern Weyr
The sand is hot here on the Southern Weyr hatching sands, the heat seems to roll off everything around you in a sweating haze. A long dormant volcano, the roof is an open oblong above you giving a view of the sky far from your reach. The sand is the same dazzling white color as that which makes up Southern's beaches, in fact the sand looks like it has sometime recently been refreshed from the seashore. High up in the western wall is a set of ledges for dragons to view sands activity, and below those is the opening to a gallery where candidate loved ones, and well wishes can all take in the sights.

Contents:
Imara
Gemini
Conor
Craw
Arliana
Auralia
Aidan
T'dru
Shadara
K'laarn
Telinda
Tiarnath
Rnayth
Mound of Eggs

Marila strides over from the Candidate Room.
Marila has arrived.

Gemini steps out onto the hot sands and does a little shuffle. Then he bows to dame and sire as well as the weyrleaders before taking a place in the circle.

Craw walks to the where he is suppose to be and then does the required bows before finding a spot to wait for the dragonets to come out, only a slight twitch is the only show of emotion.

T'dru gives Weyrwoman and Weyrleader a salute. A short bow directed at Rnayth and Tiarnath follows, then he quickly finds himself a decent spot not too far away to intervene if there's trouble, yet not so close that he's in the way.

Arliana follows along behind Aidan, near to Auralia. Unclasping her hands from behind her, she grabs the edges of her robe. Dam, sire and Weyrleaders each get a quick bow before she steps over a bit to join in the semicircle forming.

Tiarnath gazes suspiciously at the sudden influx of candidates, head lowered as she glances over them in assessment. Snorting, as if something has been said to calm her fears, she eases herself to a crouch, her tail coiling around her flanks. Telinda flashes her lifemate an encouraging smile and then, slightly turning her head over her shoulder, she grins at K'laarn, squeezing his hand, before finally turning her attention to the rocking eggs. "I hope this goes quick, we don't want fainting candidates!"

Miranor strides over from the Candidate Room.
Miranor has arrived.

Marila slips onto the sand with a light step, she bows quickly and then bounces to somewhere near Katolnar. She squints a bit as she looks around.

Nareisa strides over from the Candidate Room.
Nareisa has arrived.

Raven strides over from the Candidate Room.
Raven has arrived.

Theida strides over from the Candidate Room.
Theida has arrived.

Imara bows deeply toward first Tiarnath and Rnayth, then Telinda and K'laarn. She blinks dazedly when she looks up, and walks uncertainly toward the group of candidates.

Shadara chuckles and grins at Telinda, "We'll hope not."

Miranor steps nervously onto the sands, bowing to Tiarnath, Rnayth, Telinda and K'laarn before shifting into the semi-circle of white robes.

Katolnar coughs from the heat, his sunburned skin showing brightly on the sands. He bows nervously to Tiarnath and Rnayth, edging as far away from them as he can. Mari gets a grin and a blind offer of a hand.

N'all walks over from the Weyrling Room.
N'all has arrived.

Raven bows deeply to Tiarnath, Rnayth, K'laarn and Telinda, and then moves to stand in the semi circle facing the eggs, and marveling at the wavey heat rising up, shifting her uncomfortable feet.

K'laarn releases the Weyrwoman and then turns slightly to observe the procession of candidates and weyrlingmasters that swell on the sand. He does keep one grasp on the Weyrwoman though, the same hand she squeezed. "Same here. Remember.. well you probably wouldn't remember. But it has happened." His teeth show in this last, almost feral grin.

Aidan almost misses the next step, with the heat as it is. His hand flares out quickly, groping for the first stability it can find. "Sorry," he says to a female Candidate; he didn't miss her shoulder, but... he came close.

Auralia waves Raven over, once the girl has bowed, "Hold my hand, Raven?" She offers Arli her other hand, and waits, nervously.

Raven holds Auralia's hand, and bites her lip. "Of course, Auri."

Arliana flashes a quick grin at Aidan, "Careful, careful."

Theida makes a dutiful bow to Tiarnath and Rnayth before anxiously finding her place near Raven.

N'all walks out, last. He bows deeply to Tiarnath and Rnayth. He then walks over and assumes his place by the Weyrleader.

Nareisa emerges from the tunnel half-tripping on that overlong skirt. She narrowly misses bowling into another candidate. "Sorry," she's bright red. Wildly she looks around, "Kat" she hisses. There's so many candidates there... where did he go? "Where are you?" movement nearby prompts her to do the bowing thing too.

N'all pushes up on the brim of his straw hat, and offers a wineskin to the weyrleader, and whispers something to him.

Imara moves to stand next to Raven and holds out her hand. "Mind if I join you?"

Aidan rolls his eyes at such clumsiness, glancing at Arli with a smile--forced, most likely. "I'm trying," he murmurs, glancing back out over the Sands to search for a Candidate in particular.

Marila takes Katolnar's hand probably more than a bit tighter than she meant to. She chews her bottom lip and then glances away from the shifting clutch, searching the crowds. Well what she can see of them.

Slowly, the eggs of the clutch stir, beginning to rock, late starters joining those that had already begun. Heat wavers over the sands, contorting the light, as mirages dance and shimmy between awakening eggs.

Arliana nods a bit, stuffing her hands behind her, clasped tightly once more.

Katolnar's voice rings out a bit too loudly in the rustling of sand and shuffling. "Reisa? Mari n' I are over here." He gropes blindly in the direction of her voice. "Shardit, can't see a flaming thing."

K'laarn then eyes the gold egg. "I'm especially interested to see whom the new queen will Impress. We have many promising women on the sands here today." He looks a little pensive. "Ever since Eliora.. well it will be nice to have a new gold." Then he glances to his side wheer the Weyrlingmaster stands and then nods, replying something that isn't audible above the noise now on the sands, taking the skin with a mighty and companionable clout to N'all's shoulder and back.

"Aidan," Miranor's somewhat quiet words are offered across the row. Hearing the familiar voice, she nearly topples herself when she bumps into him. "Jays, we're as blind as watchwhers out here," she remarks softly.

Gemini looks out towards where the eggs should be as he stops and blinks. He stops and squints trying to see better. Feet shifting as the sands burn through the sandals.

Nareisa heard that voice. She edges thataway. "Kat," hissed again, overloud on the hatching sands. "I can't see a thing." Mumblemumble. Whoops! "Sorry." She dances back from someone's toes.

Slowly, the eggs of the clutch stir, beginning to rock, late starters joining those that had already begun. Heat wavers over the sands, contorting the light, as mirages dance and shimmy between awakening eggs.

N'all doesn't stumble too much with the clout, maybe a little for show to help the WL's ego. He takes a sip from a large mug he himself is carrying. He grins at K'laarn, one of those rare, genuine ones.

Auralia calls out across the sands, her voice strangly confident now that she's here, "I can't see most of you, but good luck. To all of you. And congratulations in advance." She moves her feet uneasily, holding Raven's hand tight.

Aidan looks up at Miranor, offering a grin and settling back into position. "Much worse, I think," he offers in return. A wink is given, though his attention travels to the rocking eggs soon after. Aidan rocks back and forth as they do. "The heat... this rocking... it's making me sick..." he murmurs.

Regal Luminary Egg gives a contained quiver and rolls over to one side, the yellowish patches of its coat mingling with the color of the hot-hot-hot sands.

Arliana gives Aidan a worried glance, then unclenches her hands to offer him one. "Don't faint on me, okay?"

Telinda nods, with a smile, to the Weyrlingmasters as they too wander onto the sands and into their positions. "I'm very interested to, but the sooner the better in this heat." She glances up at the gold, who's holding out a wing for her lifemate, "Thank you dearest, that should help a little."

Raven holds her friends' hands tight and does the steamy sands shuffle with her feet, swallowing a bit at the lack of saliva which she swore was there before they came out here.

Katolnar reaches out and grabs what he obeviously thinks is Reisa's hand. There is a squeal, followed by the sound of a smack and a sheepish, "Sorry." The second time, he grabs Reisa's hand and pulls her in with Marila.

The Midnight Creek Egg briefly dances in place, leaving a scuffle in the sand before it settling down to rest again.

Aidan puts one hand in Arliana's, the other in Miranor's. Quite the stud, no? "I'll try..." is sputtered in brief, hurried breaths.

The heat from the sands, combined with the heat in the air, makes the sands seem to ripple as if something just beneath the surface was just waking up.

Gemini wipes stinging sweat from his eyes "Shards if it isn't one thing it's another.." he mutters and blinks. "Umm did something just move?"

K'laarn seems to swell up with pride, and uncorking the skin he offers it first to Telinda, muttering under the noise as if to explain what it is. He continues to smile, a large, friendly expression combined with excitement and a sense of achievement.

Imara blinks as she looks around the sands. She gives Raven's hand a squeeze, her other hanging by her side, fingers twitching.

Telinda quirks an eyebrow at K'laarn, "You sure that's a good idea out here? I don't want a drunken.. ahh, thanks!" she says, lifting a hand to the weyrlingmaster.

Marila steps closer to what she hopes is Katolnar, she mutters, "I'm trying to see my family, but I can't spot them at all through all this glare." She blinks at the squeal, "What was that?"

N'all nods to Telinda.

Miranor's free hand tries to clear her brow. The motion, however, seems fruitless. Squeezing Aidan's hand a bit, she swallows hard. "How will know to run," is a quietly voiced concern.

Harbour Lady Egg gives a long shuddering twitch, sand shifting away from where its hardened side rests against the grainy surface beneath - a barely noticeable rhythm beginning as the hatchling inside struggles to break free.

Nareisa wipes her brow. "Thanks, it's HOT..." she nevertheless squeezes that hand tight, and scoots closer to Katolnar, the combination of the hot sands and nervousness making her move from foot to foot. "Good luck," she hisses.

Katolnar mutters at Marila as he flushes. Of course, with that burn, who can tell. "Gresel." A pause and his head swings towards the noise. "Shells - what *was* that?"

Aidan gives a paniced glance to Miranor, shrugging. "I don't know ... maybe we can hear it?" he offers hopefully.

Arliana glances around Aidan to Miranor, "We'll look out. Warn each other, okay? Just watch."

Theida runs the back of her hand along her driping forehead, squinting a bit to catch the few signs of movement she can be sure.

Move? Where? Auralia can't see it, "Did an egg move? Anyone? I can't see! Shardit why doesn't it clear up a little!"

Miranor 's head bobs to Arliana. "Good plan..." is all she gets out before a blink. "Something? There...?"

Marila seems to be finally over taken by nervousness. She can't see, things are moving on the sands. She does the only thing she can do. She hiccups.

Gemini pushes back purple hair and scoots closer to a candidate next to him "Things are moving aren't they?" he stage whispers as feet shuffle in the heat.

The Sky Spires Egg rocks in place several times, then goes still, like the calm before a storm.

Across the blazing Sands, a small green wades thru a shimmering lake. As she moves around, it becomes clear that the lake is just a mirage caused by the ferocious heat generated by the obscene heat.

Tiarnath coils her tail around her haunches, gazing over the shimmering heat waves that roll across the sands towards the gently rocking eggs of her clutch. Possessiveness evident in every line of her body, she hmmmmmms loudly, the sound echoing through her chest and the stone around her as the Southern dragons herald the impending hatching.

Craw looks around the place where he is but stills stays quiet. The lad eye's are wide not that anyone can see and he has backed up as much as he can.

Arliana shakes her head about, lifting her hair off her neck briefly. "I don't know. It's so hard to tell."

Shadara hmmms and watches, sipping occasionally from a flask, waiting for the first impression to take place.

Conor shifts his feet, wiping again at the sweat dripping down his face.

Nareisa continues the continuous nervous movement. "Can you see?" Maybe it's just her height. "Have any hatched?"

K'laarn wipes his brow, wincing slightly as sweat drips into his eyes. "Sharding heat. " He mutters. He glances toward the eggs and says, "Hey is that a green.. oh.. no it isn't." He grins bashfuly and explains. "Thought I saw the first hatching."

Regal Luminary Egg begins to rock more insistently, as though the heat of the sands beneath it has finally become too much, no longer caressing, but something from which it must escape. A series of short, precise movements sets it bouncing, sand crunching beneath its hardened surface, rippling with the demanding efforts of the hatchling within.

N'all's feet are planted firmly shoulder width apart. He quickly scans his gaze over his assistants then over the candidates. He takes another drink from his mug. He then offers a hankerchief to K'laarn. Always prepared.

Katolnar squeezes Nareisa and Marila's hands. "I can't tell. I *thought* something had but I'm going crosseyed in this heat."

Imara shuts her eyes tight, keeping them closed for a moment, then opens them. She shakes her head. "Nope, that didn't work." She looks at her empty hand. "Shells, I can barely even see my hand!"

Aidan releases the girls' hands momentarily, taking this moment to pull his robe into the balls that are his fists. After a moment containing deep breaths, closed eyes, and shuffling feet, the hands are pushed back outwards and to the girls. Eyes open, he watches ... listens ... for hatchlings.

Raven bites her lip and shuts her eyes, trying to hear as she shifts her feet, the sounds of shuffling feet, swishing robes, sweaty limbs skiffing against other surfaces, and eggs rocking, cracking rolling moving cloud her mind.

K'laarn laughs and shakes his head at N'all this time, pulling out his own. He was prepared for this one at least.

Marila hiccups again, "Something's out there..feel like *hiccup* Faranth I should have had more water..." She squints through all the glare moving her head a little bit.

Several small cracks appear in the shell of the Worshipful Colours Egg before it goes motionless again.

The Mountain Home Egg shudders against two of its fellows, tiny tapping sounds coming from within before subsiding.

Gemini blinks again as sweat stings his eyes and makes them water. "Wish I could see...somthing."

Nareisa peers through the heat. "Can you see N'all?" Can anyone see ANYTHING? "How will we know if one is coming over?"

Shadara chuckles a bit and shakes her head, "Better to be able to see mirages and think you see them, than not being able to see because it's too dark and the clouds are blocking the moon."

N'all chuckles a little bit, dips the hankerchief in his mug, lifts up his hat, and places the now damp cloth on his head, replacing the hat above it. N'all is probably visible as that straw-hat wearing tower over .there..

Harbour Lady Egg seems to be gaining a bit of speed as it rocks back and forth in the hole that its exertions are creating below it. The tides of life are washing over it from within, ebb and flow, high and low as it shakes and jiggles in its methodic way.

Arliana takes the same opportunity to quickly make a feeble attemtp at drying her own hands. She grabs Aidan's outstretched hand again, grasping it a bit mroe tightly. "Do you see one yet?"

Theida blinks repeatedly, making sure her eyes aren't playing any tricks. "Maybe we should just try to listen for them..."

Katolnar's tone tries to be soothing, though it cracks. "We'll hear 'em, Reisa." He doesn't sound very confident about it. "Just stay on your toes and ready to dodge."

Aidan gives his own, contemptious snort. "See one? I can't see -anything-?" he complains, pushing a step forward and squinting to try and pierce the haze hanging over the Sands.

As if disturbed by a quaking of the land that it stands upon, the Regal Luminary Egg shudders once more racked from within by impending forces of doom. A slow vibration disturbs the lilac tendrils creeping down the smooth surface, obscuring them further in the haze of blinding heat. Half a breath later, fine traceries -- like cracks webbing through the fabric of a building -- creep upward, the burnished gold trembling in the light of the sun, until ultimately, its inhabitant succeeds in collapsing its walls in a shimmer of shards.

---*** Wafted Frond Fan Mirage Hatchling ***---

The air of the hatching grounds, heavy with humidity, hangs oppressively -- unmoving. Only the oscillation of light hugging close to the sands seems to be moving. Over one location, the air seems to solidify -- bending and waving, up and down. This patch of animated light appears to be constructed of green fronds, bowing gently, sweeping the heat away. A fan, large enough to actually have some use against the baking temperatures, pushes forward the shade beneath -- cooling the air just enough by the motion of each stroke.

Gemini steps a bit sideways and bumps into Imara. "Ooops sorry.." He murmurs softly before wiping again at the sweat the runs down his face.

Miranor's head leans forward like a statuette on the front of a ship, trying to listen. "I hear...tapping..." she murmurs to Aidan and Arliana. "But..can't tell from...where..." A loud sound tugs her head. "There...that was something...:

Eggs? Who cares about eggs now. Dovee just tries to cool off. Not that she ever cared about eggs, "I wish this would just be all over so I could go home," she mutters to a candidate close by, a candidate that even if he can't see her, still knows who it is.

Marila shuts her eyes, "Maybe we should all be quiet.. *hiccup* so we can *hiccup* hear them better. Faranth I'm scared.." Alright she's admitted it.

Raven hears a crack and what sounds like a hatchling coming from an egg. "Imara, Marila, can you see anything? It sounded like an egg hatched. I could have sworn I heard ichor spilling and sizzling...

Shadara ahhhs and grins as the first hatchling appears, "And once more we can't tell what color it is." she says with a chuckle and a shake of her head.

The Distorted Sunlight Egg and Delicate Curve Egg clack against each other, fractures spreading across both surfaces and allowing chips of shell to flake away like the whiteness of the worst High Reaches snowstorm. Soon a bronze and a green stand where the eggs were, flipping shards from their hides and looking about.

Nareisa's hand tightens on Katolnar's at the word 'dodge'. Not the best instinct under the circumstances, perhaps. "I... was that something?"

As the sand shimmers, it's hard to tell which is the bronze hatchling and which is the green, but a flash of metallic hue practically rushing towards an older boy from Thessaly Hold, while the other takes her time in choosing her lifemate, is the give away. Finally she stops in front of lanky Vojah and nudges him softly. "Aye, I will," V'jah murmers to his new lifemate, nodding as one of the weyrlingmasters helps the new pair from the sands.

Rnayth bugles loudly, excitement ringing in the metallic tones echoing from his throat. Something momentous must of happened by the sound of that enthusiastic ringing. His tail crashes into the sand, stirring it into a small cloud that quickly settles.

Aidan's grip goes considerably tighter as his piercing gaze seems to have caught something. "Do you see that? I see something!" he gasps, relasing his grips to point outwards to the hatchling.

"Was that? Is it? Raven? Did one just hatch?" Auri looks around, craning her neck to try and get a look, but not getting anywhere with it, "I think it did! Theres a dragonet on the loose!"

Katolnar jumps at Rnayth's bugle and then tells those nearest him, "I think something hatched and impressed."

Raven blinks. "Vojah Impressed!"

Arliana stays put still, her arm pulled forward by Aidan's movement. "Over that way? I think you're right! But it's so hard to see it."

Craw jumps at the bugle that seems to come from everywhere and then wipes his hand over his forehead. The lad starts to quietly whisper to himself stuff but what it is can not be made out.

Imara sighs as she wipes her wet face with an equally wet hand. "I changed my mind, this is hotter than the desert." She looks behind her. "Oh hi... Gemini?" Quickly turning to look at Raven, she asks, "What happened?"

Telinda positively beams, her expression radiant. Hand reaches out for K'laarn's, as she grins once more and returns her attention to the sands, shifting her stance to place a hand against Tiarnath's golden hide.

Gemini clenches his jaw and looks about "Did..was it?" he then gives up and concentrates on listening.

The hot sands seem to be dotted here and there with small patches of rippling liquid, movement just at the periphery of vision, coalescing into the familiar grainy consistency of mere sand as soon as the eye focuses on them directly.

While mutters of "Vojah?" "V'jah!" "Congratulations, Vo!" pass through some of the candidates, Auralia just smiles, refraining from adding her voice to the din.

Belira is busy amongst a bunch of candidates her age. Oofs and ouches come periodically from the group, each accompanied by a "Sorry!" from the blonde girl.

Obscured by candidates, the Crystal Canyon Egg vanishes entirely from sight at the same moment an audible *snap* rings across the Sands. Soon, the swift-moving form of a dragonet works its way across the Sands toward a very young lad from Island River. A tumbling of limbs - draconic and human - ends with the boy slightly bruised but stroking his lifemate in a most apologetic manner, assuring the blue dragonet that he's just fine.

As if pitching in the same sea its shell calls to mind, the Harbour Lady Egg continues with its slow methodical rocking in a burrow of sand, gaining more and more speed as the moments pass. Just when the wave-like pitching reaches an impossibly quick crescendo, the egg breaks away into countless waves of greyish-blue shards to reveal the heat-cloaked form of a dragonet.

---*** Clouded Sunny Day Mirage Hatchling ***---

Between the heated sands and the relentless brilliance of the sun above, the heat is nearly unbearable. Distortions of light from the layer of air trapped against the scorching sand fools the eye. But there, now, something condenses over the sands. Delicate puffs of clouds form, gleaming reflected sunshine on their upper surfaces, greying with shade beneath. Such clouds would banish the heat should they congregate in the sunny skies, and then there's the distant possibility of a cool shower.

Marila wipes her arm across her eyes as she hiccups, "Who saw that? " She hiccups over and over again for several moments. "Kat? You there?"

Conor takes short quiet breaths in the heat, straining forward to try to see.

Aidan almost appears to bounce on the sands, pointing to the hatchling from the Crystal Canyon egg. "I know him!" he blurts, grinning. Soon after, his eyes avert to the clouds on the Sands--or are they? Either way, he sees them, but keeps quiet for the moment.

Raven grapples at Imara's arm. "I heard another snap. So many snappings. The heat makes my eyes hurt!" she says, shifting her feet repetatively and trying to see through the wavey haze.

In the center of the clutch, the small the Majestic Erosion Egg egg shatters, leaving a steady, quiet green hatchling at its end. As the green crosses the Sands towards a young Starcrafter whose attention is everywhere but on the Hatchlings, the Desert Sunrise Egg egg hatches a squat brown hatchling who slowly makes his way towards a lass from Central Hold.

Sunlight glints of the sands, catches on the miniscule shards of Shell which remain and reflects off the Queen's Golden hide, causing a rather blinding cacophony of visual sensation.

Wafted Frond Fan Mirage Hatchling spreads wide a delicate expanse of fronds, holding them for a long moment above the ground before sweeping them downwards, sending a gentle breeze forward. Deliberately it moves in one direction, the long stem of the fan just barely trailing along in the sand.

Shadara grins and leads the new pair off the sands, into the weyrling room and then comes back out after the new pair has a bucket of mmeat and some water to trink and oil for after the feeding is complete

Nareisa whips around trying to see. "They're everywhere," it's an almost inaudible hiss. Her grip on Katolnar's tightens yet more, and she edges closer to him.

Katolnar's tone is amused. "That better be me holding your hand, Mari. Hold your breath and see if that helps." The word drifts off into a yelp as Nareisa tightens her grip.

Arliana scoots a step forwqard, peering through the haze. "I can't tell who. Who was it?"

Gemini blinks "That's not.." and then shakes his head "I think I'm seing things..clouds and fans.."

Theida gives up on the watching for a moment to rip off the hem of her robe. She ties it around her head, hoping it will help keep the sweat out of her eyes so she can at least keep them open...

Imara looks out at the sands and squints. "Are those hatchlings?" She smiles at Raven. "I know how you feel." She gives Raven's hand a comforting squeeze."

After feeling the twinge of air moving Craw says in a bit louder voice "Hello, is that somebody?" Craw looks around for a mont in the have at the shapes and everything before going back to his fast paced whispering.

Aidan looks sheepishly at Arliana, shrugging. "Someone from Island River. I know him--I think?" He shrugs again, a faint blush rising through the Sands' haze.

Marila squeezes Katolnar's hand tighter. She suddenly takes a deep breath, and continues to watch what little she can. Curls cling damply to her face. She keeps holding that breath.

Auralia rubs her eyes in the hope that it is just her who can't see a thing. When it doesn't work, she goes back to peering around blindly, holding Raven's hand tight, "You're both still there, aren't you? Raven, Imara?"

Nareisa yipes. "Sorry," sheepishly. "I'm just er..." she glances over. Can he hear her? The straw-hatted tower is nowhere to be seen "Scared," in a low voice.

Raven squeezes Auralia's hand. "I'm here... I think."

Arliana grins, purposefully taking Aidan's hand again, then turning in a different direction from which he's looking. "You watch that way. I'll watch this."

A flurry of shards flip in every direction as the Sunken Knowledge Egg bursts open on the far side of the clutch to reveal a diminutive blue who announces his presence with a loud bugling, amazing for one so small. He peers around with curiosity before taking a step towards a small knot of candidates all clutching each others' hands. More steps follow, and he plows directly into a young Bakercraft girl, knocking the lass down and tearing her grip from her fellows. Instead of pain-filled screams, a shout of triumph rings through the air.

A crackling sound echoes across the Hatching Grounds from the Painted Blackness Egg, pieces of its shell appearing to darken before flaking off. A dark brown hatchling flops from its confines, wallowing briefly in the sands before getting to his feet and creeling his hunger. He continues to vocalize as he ambles towards the candidates, sniffing each one before settling eyes on Rayoji, a lad from the Woodcraft. The two blink at each other for a few moments, as if in silent negotiation, before Rayoji finally reaches out to smooth the brown's eyeridge as he grins, "I hear you!" R'oji's tone growing sheepish, he adds, "And I love you too."

Katolnar hisses to Marila, "Don't hold it that long or you'll faint." He gives her arm a little shake, rubbing his jaw against his shoulder.

Imara calls in Auralia's direction, "I'm here... but I'm not sure where that is."

Clouded Sunny Day Mirage Hatchling coalesces suddenly and begins its slow drift, letting some stray breeze that touches nothing else waft it here and there across the Hatching Grounds. A flicker of shadow laces across an egg as the shapeless form passes by, but is quickly drifting off somewhere else again before it can cool a thing.

Aidan frowns slightly, shaking his head as the sweat-dampened locks threaten to fall. "I can't see anything, though," he complains, frown deepening. "I want to watch everything, though."

Tiarnath bugles at the hatchlings find lifemates, lowering her muzzle to inspect the new addition to Pern's fighting force. With a small, delicate, and warmly tinged croon for her newest son, she sends him on his way, watching with cerulean-tinged eyes as they searches for their new lifemate.

Marila glances in the direction of Katolnar's voice, "I wll not faint.. I never fa

Miranor's eyes squint, her useless attempt to see. The runnertail lays wet against her neck as she sighs. "I'll just listen," she offers quietly and tries to do just that.

Theida leans towards the form next to her, who it is, she can't tell. "Do you know how many have hatched? Are they still running around? Did they impress yet?"

Raven blinks a little and clears her throat. "I think I just saw a cloud..."

Marila glances in the direction of Katolnar's voice, "I wll not faint.. I never faint.." Hiccup.

Auralia tries to laugh, but doesn't succeed very well. She nods, even though no one can see her do it. The Impressions aren't seen, or heard, and she remains in the dark that there have been more than one of two.

Pillar of Strength Egg gives a wobble, the base of the large egg shimmying in the sands. Impetuous shakes from within rock it to and fro, until it finally comes to rest, again.

Gemini snorts "Have to be sseing things..don't I?" Blinking as something wafts across the sands.

Arliana hmms, stretching her arm out as she shuffles a half step over. "I can't either. Just try to see."

Katolnar jumps a bit at a shadow, pulling Nareisa a bit closer. "What was that?" Paranoia begins to make an inroad in the candidate's voice. And he hisses again to Marila, "Hold your breath again. Just... don't hold it long."

With each bugle of dragons Craw seems to get smaller and smaller. The small whispers that Craw is doing is picking up in volume but is still not loud enough to be heard.

Imara grins at Raven. "I envy you. I can't see a thing, just a big blur."

Covered with a glassy sheen, the the smooth texture of the hatching sands is broken by a flickering spiral of sand as it whirls up from the ground, perhaps triggered by the movement of one of the hatchlings or kicked up by a candidate, leaving faint scratches across the shifting, melting surface.

Two eggs split at once on opposite edges of the clutch - the Bloody Towers Egg bursting into a bright display of shards that shimmer down around a green dragonet just as the Winged Innovation Egg tips over and splits open to reveal a sturdy blue. The green rights herself and instantly singles out a sunburned young girl from Honshu. The blue lingers a bit, surveying the boys that stand before him until his muzzle pushes into one barrel-chested lad who whoops for joy!

Auralia adds, "It'd be nice to have something to focus on, defiantly."

Nareisa has NO objection right now to being pulled closer to someone. Anyone. Or Katolnar in particular. "I don't know... maybe... is one coming this way?" eek.

Conor's hair is beginning to stick straight up on his head from the sweat and his hands running through it.

Wafted Frond Fan Mirage Hatchling drifts across the sands, frond tips sweeping a faint trail to mark its passage. A refreshing coolness is directed towards a small cluster of candidates as it pauses on its journey, the image rippling from top to bottom as it holds still, long, cool shadows cast in one direction and then another. Quivering with a decisive response it resumes moving again, and the breeze beneath it picks up as it wafts more quickly, waving fronds and expanse of shadow combining to focus on the One it wants.

Marila scowls and holds her breath again, but stops. "I'm not holding my breath again. Its ridiculous." She hiccups and only squeezes at the hand she's holding with an iron grip come from her days spent in the garden.

Clouded Sunny Day Mirage Hatchling continues its slow drift in a random pattern, although its path does trace closer and closer to those white-robed figures surrounding the clutch. Its form holds a promise - maybe of cooling rain, maybe of a chilling shadow that will make its way across the ground. Whatever secrets this cloudy shape might hold, its definitely not revealing it yet.

Aidan becomes engrossed in his Sand-watching, sand-listening. He tries to keep tabs on what he can see of the Hatchlings, though it becomes more difficult as his eyes begin to water at the heat.

Raven swallows again. "Can anyone see what's going on?" she asks plaintively.

Wafted Frond Fan Mirage Hatchling wafts with an amazing amount of grace over the sands, movements slow and ponderous in search of that elusive lifemate. Backtracking, to a small knot of candidates, she makes her choice, her deep, layered green muzzle poking Auralia in the chest, her decision finally made.

Leisurely making its way through a lush tropical jungle, a ribbon of water winds like a streamer from a child's kite, sweeping toward a mysterious, dimly lit pool of water that bathes this hatchling in depths of layered watery-greens. Rich olive-greens flow smoothly over her flanks, muscles delineated by ripples of deep sapphire, almost as if the water's edge were captured by moonlight, whilst her neckridges are graced with a delicate pattering of mossy-greens, like long tendrils of greenery hung from the boughs of a riverside tree. Shadows lengthen down the curve of her belly -- the promise of secrets, passed into legend -- toward her lithe limbs, the verdant-green seamlessly shading into the jet-black of her sharp talons. Pinions blaze with a dazzling burst of yellow-green -- as though the sun had placed a flamboyant handprint there -- gradually darkening over her leading edges -- the colour of lilypads floating on the surface of a well-hidden pond -- before paling amidst the gently dappled greens of her wingsails.

Ruddy Rock Ravine Egg doesn't tremble so much as bulge, the red shell seeming to stretch as muzzle and talons seeks escape. Strange bumps appear near the apex, crimson shadows showing the faintest striations zigzagging into cracks.

Katolnar's response to Marila, as he shifts to try to ease his feet, is a trifle peevish. "Shells, woman! Don't break my fingers." Then hard on the heels of that, "What was that?"

Gemini sighs softly as he pushes back hair and wipes sweat from his brow. Muttering beneath his breath at not being able to see hatchlings.

Imara shakes her head. "I have no idea, Raven. I hear things, but there's too much noise. I can't make any sense of it."

Marila squints, "I I think someone impressed?" She tilts her head as she looks, "I can't *hiccup* tell.." She however does not lessen her grip.

Nareisa blinkblinks, misinterpreting who Kat is speaking to. After all, it's not as if she can see. "Sorry," eep. "What was what?"

Shadara chuckles softly and nods, "Now see, I knew Saith was right." she says as she see's Auralia impress, "What is her name Auralia?"

Auralia turns to Raven saying, "I keep thinking, which of these dragonets that I can't see will look into one of my friends eyes and say -" She stops, and then drops to the ground, "We'll be together forever, Iesath!"

Arliana tugs on Aidan, "Look.. look over there. Isn't that Auri?"

Pillar of Strength Egg shivers as though a tremour rocks the sands beneath it, the gentle wobbling of the strong blacks of its base amplified to drastic shakes of its reddish crest. Sand scatters from around it, as the large egg repeatedly shakes with violence.

Raven blinks at Auralia and smiles, holding onto Imara, biting her lip...

Aidan looks to Auralia, a grin breaking to his face as the hatchling's color finally focuses. "Auri!" he cries triumphantly, the grin now threatening to split his face in two. He gives a quick, excited nod to Arliana. "Yeah--Iesath? Did she say Iesath?" he asks the two, squinting again.

Katolnar asks, this time squeezing the girls' hands, "Who? Auralia? Was it that - is that a green?"

Nareisa tiptoes, like that will help, or add much to her height anyway. "It sounded like her..."

Gemini turns in time to glimpse a flash of color. Then hearing Auralia he smiles "Nice name...Iesath.." he rolls it over his tongue. "I think that's what she said.."

"Did Auralia impress? I mean is that what happened, can somebody please tell me what is going on." Craw finallyl breaks down and says "I mean I can't see anything, it sure is hot here, I mean really hot."

Marila wails, "I don't know if its her or not!" She tries to peer into the haze again, she hiccups.

Miranor's voice echoes to those around her. "Iesath...what a lovely name," she remarks before repeating many of the same questions filtering in the air. "Green? Who? Crackdusted glows..." A wipe at her brow before she peers into the haze.

Like the wind howling through a grove of trees, the Pillar of Strength Egg stirs, its reddish-brown mass wobbling on the sands. It rests, still, for a few moments before a flurry of activity sets it to swaying, as if its shell, and not the branches brushed across its surface, was caught in the wind. Groaning and cracking, it strains to stay rooted to its position, but fails -- bursting into a million shimmering splinters as if falling from the very earth itself.

Ruddy Rock Ravine Egg stretches eerily, the faces coloring its mottled surfaces contorting with each forceful blow from within. The hairline fractures widen steadily, growing into deeper and more obvious canyons across the dusty canvas, baked and cracked in the searing heat.

Theida grins as the buzz gets to her, "Auralia? Oh that's wonderful, what was the name? What color was it?" A few more minutes and the unidentified form near her leans over to fill in the gaps.

---*** Invisible Sand Monster Mirage Hatchling ***---

In the intense heat, the boundary between sand and air is lost to the eye, becoming nothing more than a mirage of shimmering liquid light. A shift in the coruscation draws the eye, and the sand appears to move -- a monster of sand rearing up from where it lurked, camouflaged till this instant by the innocent grains that incubated the eggs. Sunlight glints off what can only be horrid fangs, a deep cavernous mouth opening wide, ready to engulf those in its path.

"He's doing it again!" Aidan murmurs to Miranor and Arliana, looking to Craw. "Can't he keep quiet for anything?

Imara looks in Auralia's direction. "Auralia, is that you?" She peers at the girl, concentrating on the shape. "Iesath? Congrats!"

Clouded Sunny Day Mirage Hatchling has finally floated almost within touching distance to the candidates, but still does not make any attempt at keeping to one distinct shape. Instead it seems to merge with the ripples of heat rising up to it, shifting and gliding, first looking like a wherry, then like the whitecaps on stormy waters. Suddenly, the breeze lofting it around seems to end, and it stops its aimless drifting.

Conor offers, "Congradulations, Auralia." There are no complaints from him, though he wipes his forearm over his face again.

Iesath butts her small green head gently against Auralia's legs, lifting up her eyes to gaze adoringly at this perfect, wonderful, special person she has chosen.

Shadara grins and moves over to auralia and nods to her green, "Iesath, nice to meet you, if you two could please follow me, we'll get you to where you can feed your lifemate." she says as she taps Auralia on the shoulder and motions her towards the Weyrling room.

The summers' day clouds of the Clouded Sunny Day Mirage Hatchling billow this way and that, guided by the whimsy of a wind that's felt by none in the heat of the sands. The restless path ceases, and like a storm rising up from the horizon, the clouds encroach upon Miranor, suddenly parting to reveal, in their wake, the glimmering blue of a hatchling, gazing up into Miranor's eyes.

Pointing fingers towards an autumn sky, a jagged coastline -- the green pastures but a distant dream on the horizon -- rises from an ocean that crashes against the rocks far below, the like of which washes over the hide of this briny-blue hatchling. Fathomless-blues, reminiscent of the deep, clear water far from land, shadows his flanks, eddies and currents swirling over his shoulders in cool, liquid grace. Pale aquamarine caps his muzzle -- the crest of a wave -- which rolls in towards the aqueous line of his sweeping spine, whilst watermarks lap across the expanse of his chest, tiny vortices forming around down his legs, before concluding in granite-black talons. Golden rays of sunlight catch the edges of his pinions, contrasting sharply with the dusky amethyst and hazy cobalt of his wingsails, a parody of a setting sun.

Arliana says "It sounds like her, it does."

Auralia walks toward the Weyrling Room.
Auralia has left.

Shadara walks toward the Weyrling Room.
Shadara has left.

Raven looks around and holds on to Imara's arm, the only solid thing now, as she shifts her feet seeming disoriented.

Iesath moves towards the the Weyrling Room.
Iesath has left.

Miranor doesn't need to see suddenly. A gasp and she says, "Xiuth! Of course I will feed you, dearheart..."

Aidan drops Miranor's hand as the blue approaches, his jaw dropping only before a grin can take it's place. "Miranor?" he murmurs, positively beaming.

Katolnar turns his head quickly, his tone edging further into paranoid. "What was that?" He squints vaguely in the direction of the 'sand monster'. He nudges Marila and Nareisa both with an elbow.

Bluestone's Omen Egg wobbles around, the sound emanating from within like the sound of a bell sounding the approach of a storm, for a storm it is that gather's inside this shell, as the hatchling struggles for release into the world. It slides down and out of its sandy hollow, creating illusions of its own as the sand sprinkles up and around it's ovoid shape.

Nareisa clutches at Katolnar's hand nervously as hatchlings seem to surround them. "It's going so /quickly/," she peers in the direction he's indicating "Oh my," blink.

Arliana starts, bolt upright, nearly bumpgin into Aidan. "Oh my. Congratulations, Mira."

Gemini blinks as another name floats out of the wavering heat "Xiuth? wonder who that was.." Shuffling and wiping the sweat from his face.

Another impression and Craw still doesn't not know what is going on. The lad looks around from his spot way in the back and almost starts to go forward but stays still. "Uhm, did somebody impressed, I mean that is what I heard, right, hello? Anyone there? Uhm, well I know you are out there."

Shadara walks over from the entrance to the hatching cavern.
Shadara has arrived.

Shadowed faces bulge eerily as definite movement shakes the Ruddy Rock Ravine Egg, the creature inside scrambling to release itself from the fiery confines. What were once painted crevices now become deeper canyons, as cracks run their fingers over the canyon walls. With a final heave, the gorge collapses, the egg surrendering in defeat to its inhabitant, as it breaks into nothing more than reddish shards, quickly lost in the blistering sands of the hatching grounds.

Marila mutters with another hiccup, "Think it was a dragonet Kat.. or something like.." She wipes her eyes that start to water, sweat and grit making for trouble. "Congratulations who ever..."

T'dru escorts another newly hatched pair off the Sands, walking silently beside the duo as they find their legs.

---*** Gentle Breeze of Air Mirage Hatchling ***---

Heat wavers brightly over the sands, carpeting them in heavy light, even concealing the grainy surface from the eye. But there, a gentle whirlwind stirs the sand, tracing a shallow path in its wake. The breeze casually dances between the suggestion of a solid form, and ephemeral entity, neither one nor the other. But wind of any kind, no matter how gentle a breeze, would be welcome relief from the torrid heat of the hatching grounds.

T'dru walks toward the Weyrling Room.
T'dru has left.

Imara grasps Raven's hand and grins. "Don't worry... With my luck I won't be leaving." She turns her head this way and that. "What? Miranor?"

Conor grins vaguely in Miranor's direction. "Congradulations, Miranor!" He mutters, half to himself, "At least, I hope it's Miranor."

Miranor walks toward the Weyrling Room.
Miranor has left.

Xiuth moves towards the the Weyrling Room.
Xiuth has left.

Raven smiles a little and looks at Imara. "We'll always be together, Ima." she notes, and then nods. "Yes, Miri impressed..."

Invisible Sand Monster Mirage Hatchling looms up from the sands, a horrendous apparition of motion. A hideous monster, seeming continuous with the sand. Half burried, the creature wades it's way slowly, great claws digging a path between two eggs, a path that will lead it towards the aggregation of white robed, innocent, candidates.

Raven can't see a thing still and simply shuffles her feet, closing her eyes which water with the insufferable heat.

Katolnar becomes steadily more nervous as he eyes the area arund the approaching monster. "Is that a dragonet? Is it? Tell me I'm just seeing things?" He blinks sweat out of his eyes, holding tight to Marila and Nareisa.

Bluestone's Omen Egg caught in a dance, like some kind of festival, the drums drumming faster and faster, this ovoid shape shimmy's in its little corner of the sizzling sands. It's not as though it's ignoring it's fellow clutchmates, it's just well, dancing, and enjoying every moment of the beat -- the tempo reigns supreme.

Telinda smiles slightly, her expression wistful. It's possible she's remembering her own impression, the way that certain gold came up to her, all washed clean because of her fascination with puddles, and look over there -- Oh, no, that's a mirage! A hand gently lies on Tiarnath's foreleg as she reassures the gold as each of her hatchlings finds a lifemate.

Gemini frowns as he wipes at his eyes "There are no such things as sand monsters are there?" He looks again and hmms "Just my imagination."

Craw bakcs up and leans agasin't the cavern and then sighs slightly as the heat is starting to get to him. "Uhm, I wonder what is happening, i mean I hope everything is okay, I mean I don't want anyone to get hurt, I hope it cools down, I mean a breeze would be nice." Craw says to himself.

Nareisa is holding Katolnar's hand just as tightly back. "I /hope/ it is... otherwise, what else is it?" her voice trembles. Eek.

Marila steps closer to Katolnar, "It has to be a dragon, they wouldn't let anything that wasn't dragon *hiccup* oriented on the sands.." She takes a deep steadying breath shaking wearily.

Imara smiles, staring out into the waving expanse. "Well, congrats to her..." she says quietly, looking unsure of what to do or where to look.

K'laarn takes a sip from the skin he's retrieved from Telinda, wipping his face after with his kerchief. Then he smiles, commenting, "Several Impressions already, and did you expect that one to Impress?" His voiced lowers, just shaking his head, "You never can predict these things or what dragons they'll Impress too, either."

Gentle Breeze of Air Mirage Hatchling skirts a sandy path through its brick-red shards, casting them in all directions with one gusty flutter of movement. Another shimmering whirlwind of motion follows - shifting rhythmically as weak limbs in a steady gale toward the hazy, heated white line of candidates.

The heat shows little sign of abating, fueled by the fiery sun overhead. No clouds mar the crystal clear blue of the sky, offering no relief from the intense light.

Little cracklings come from one corner of the clutch, and a tiny green hatchling steps from the shell of the Faces of Granite Egg. She hesitates for a long moment, then flounders through the sands to a small group of candidates standing together. One shy lad seems to be singled out by the green's questing snout, and Farlit bends to put his arms around her neck, giving her a hug that needs no words to express his newly-found affection. One of the weyrlingmasters comes over to assist F'arl and his lifemate to join the rest of the new weyrlings.

Invisible Sand Monster Mirage Hatchling seems to sink back into the dcomepths of the sands, disappearing for a heat-scorched breath. A heartbeat later, it rises again from the shifting ground, looming tall over a hapless egg. Does the egg rock faster under the monster's gaze? A cavernous mouth opens wide, swinging around, and the sandy apparition seems to catch sight of a trio of white robes. Grainy muscles tense, and the monster prepares to charge!

Raven swallows a little and gasps as she hears movement of swift creatures.

After time has passed, and the Bluestone's Omen Egg has rocked back and forth, almost as if it were a large stone being erected into position and not a near sphere, a curved talon punctures the velvety surface, ripping the shell asunder in a sacrificial moment. The jagged bolt bisects the shell, webbing out from this point in oval rings, linking the towering monoliths depicted on it's surface. The struggle ends eventually, the dragonet forcing itself out, to leave its previous home rocking behind it.

---*** Wishful Thinking Robe Mirage Hatchling ***---

Rising up from the glare of bright sun on hot sands -- standing proud on its own -- fluctuations of light cling together to form the drapings of a sisal robe. Cool closely woven fabric glimmers in the light, billowing in loose waves -- the light weave promising the sensation of satiny spring water sliding over skin. Those of Igen's deserts wear such robes with good reason, as they provide buffering from the harsh rays of the sun, keeping the wearer cool underneath.

Imara wipes her hand on her robe, but it doesn't do much as her robe is nearly soaking with sweat.

Katolnar's tone is a trifle shrill, "Where'd it go? Reisa? Mari? D'you see what - where it went?" He sidesteps nervously, unintentionally pulling the girls lightly with him. One might suspect their tight hold on him is all that is keeping him from bolting.

Gemini blinks again and steps back involuntarily. "Second time.." he mutters and then stands his ground though ready. A wisp of whirlwind catches his eye and he sighs "I bet that would feel good.."

Arliana shuffles around in a cirlcle, trying to use the tiny bit of movement to cool off. "This is so frustrating, where are they all?""""

Telinda smiles, hand resting on her growing belly for a moment -- though it's still mostly flat -- a secret smile playing across her features, before a loving glance gets directed towards K'laarn, a slight blush tinting her cheeks, hidden quickly as she looks through the hazziness, trying to see a little better.

Marila hiccups, moves with Katolnar's tugging. She has her eyes only directed to what might or might not be a dragonet.

Gentle Breeze of Air Mirage Hatchling seems to hover as light dances through the sweeping motion of windy air, a fiery display of flames urged and curled on a gusty summer aftrernoon. Dipping into motion again, the flurry of illuminated sand waivers a more certain path - something attracting the soft breeze into a definite course.

Conor shuffles his feet against the blazing sands, spots of color on his cheeks as he strains to see.

Nareisa's mouth opens wide, maybe they got the idea from her eyes, which are both like saucers. "Whatever it is... I think it's about to..." she grabs onto Kat "Should we run?"

Hillside Figure Egg quivers, a mere glimmering shimmer appears from the midst of the egg mound. It might be mistaken for the rippling heat rising off the sands except there's a hint of intent to the motion, an almost regular pattern seen through the haze in a transparent movement of gently driven winds.

Aidan sighs softly, pushing the Sand away from his feet with his toes. His eyes cast their glance upward, falling upon one hatchling. "Oh, look at that..." he murmurs wistfully, gently nudging Arliana. "Looks like a breeze..."

Invisible Sand Monster Mirage Hatchling charges straight for a trio, the shifting sands of the creature hardly seeming to do more than shift barely out of the way as it barrels past rocking eggs. Great limbs propell the wading sand monster through the waist deep mires, though the sandy ground seems to serve little use as a barricade.

Invisible Sand Monster Mirage Hatchling comes to an abrupt halt in front of a group of white clad candidates it was about to charge. It is as if it finally knows knows exactly the reason it was shelled! She cants her ivy-green face up and looks deeply into Marila's eyes.

As spring returns at last to a long-dormant land, ahead, in the depths of an ancient forest, shadowy eaves spread outwards to blanket the plains -- the furthest slopes fading into a distant blue -- like the colours that burgeon over the flanks of this delicate woodland green hatchling. Warm, earthy, brownish-greens shade the hide of her belly and her limbs, their hue reminiscent of sturdy tree trunks shadowed with the softest feathered mosses -- a carpet of ferns and grass rippling over the forest floor. Delicate tendrils of sage and willow-green shoot up and over her sides, the first buds of a young sapling yearning towards the sun, before they cross up and onto her wings where they blossom into the full, leafy greens of a dazzling forest canopy. Her head is adorned with an intricate pattern of ivy-greens, leaves and vines curling around her headknobs and trailing down her back to the curve of her tail.

Out of the haze Craw's voice continues to natter away. "I wonder how long this is going to happen, I want some juice, I mean hopefully this will be over soon. I wonder who impressed, I mean I hope they are happy, anyone know what is going on? Hrm, maybe I should go forward, no I will stay here, I mean I am safe here I think."

Imara turns her head from side to side, eyes wide. "What's going on? Who's still out here?" Her voice shakes slighty.

Wishful Thinking Robe Mirage Hatchling flaps across the sands -- sisal layers billowing over each other and providing a nice, sweet, desirable breeze, oh, to be wearing this robe now instead of those itchy, thick things that Southern provides. As it passes by a number of eggs, it seems to drape along and over them, providing them with temporary relief to the scorching heat beating down from above.

Arliana peers in the indicated direction, "Oh, please let it be a breeze."

Raven says "I am."

Nareisa pulls hard at Katolnar's hand. That's waaaaaaay to close for comfort. "It's...." blink "I think it's looking at Marila..." now if only she could get the shallow breathing under control. After a moment she manages to gasp out "Congratulations."

K'laarn catches that gaze from Telinda and gives her an intent, loving look. For a moment, its as if he doesn't notice anyone but himself and the Weyrwoman. He reaches out, touches her jaw and strokes his fingers over her skin before reaching down to take her hand again in his, clasping her fingers. He looks out over the sands, dazed expression on his face along with a big, almost egotistical smile.

Gemini shuffles and starts fanning the bottom of his robe..."Rain would be nice.." and he swallows mouth dry.

Imara smiles, "Well as long as you're here, I think I'll be all right." Her hold on Raven's hand tightens ever so slightly.

Raven smiles and nods to Imara.

Shadara grins and ahhhs as she see's Marila get looked at, head tilting a little, "Congrats Marila, if you and your lifemate could please follow me, we will get you some food and water and oil to soothe all her needs."

Hillside Figure Egg jumps again, a soft slithering sound escaping as it surfs slightly over the sand, grains sliding across its shell.The still silence of a sleeping forest follows in that aftermath until a faint eager scrabbling surfaces for the sharp-eared, fading beneath the louder noises around it.

Gemini mmms softly "That helps a bit." He continues the fanning as he looks up to watch and listen.

Katolnar yelps as the sand monster heads straight for them. He then lets out a whoop as he turns Marila loose, tugged away by Nareisa. "MARI!!" He hugs Nareisa excitedly, babbling, "I just knew she'd impress. And a green - not a fanged thing." Now that the 'monster' is revealed, he comes back on a bit more even of a keel.

Grasses sway and bend in the caress of a breeze, and so to does this egg wobble and spin, similarly caught in the forces of nature. The white-eyed figurine depicted in the mottled shades of the Hillside Figure Egg trembles, as if it were really a runner itching at the starting line of a race track. Shudders course over the shell, now more violent, and then, everything shatters as a blunt muzzle pierces through the shell, bisecting the egg into two equal halves, as the race to free itself is won.
---*** Softer Sharper Light Mirage Hatchling ***---

The heat of the sands pales in comparison to the scorching heat driven down from the sun high above. Yet a patch of the sands seems to dim just a little, as if just right there the sun were the softer shade often seen in late autumn. Such a sun wouldn't turn the very air to oven temperatures, nor blind a person with its light. Instead, the light that seems to fall on that small area is softer, muted with the later season. Around it, all seems sharper and more intense, by comparison.

Gentle Breeze of Air Mirage Hatchling finds some purpose, windblown waverings adopting an air of certainty as the breezy creature comes to a halt before you. The bright, gauzy overlay is gently blown aside to reveal the crimson-kissed bronze, the bluntness of his muzzle nudging against your middrift until he gains your attention.

Over a strange and lurid landscape -- almost as if the ground had succumbed to a new form of red vegetation -- the sun rises to start a new day, the brilliant cast of radiance illuminating this hatchling's flanks in gleaming fiery-bronzes. Barely visible, through the reddish hues that creep across his hide, is a stream of sapphire running deep within the bronze -- the scarlet feelers even infiltrating this sanctuary of colour, seeming to grow with frightening voraciousness as the claw-like fronds obstruct the flow of water. Bright emerald flares from the finely crafted pinions of his wings, drawing behind it a delicate jade mist before continuing out over the translucent sails of his wings, reminiscent of a comet streaming across the face of the red star at night. A ray of dazzling-garnet beams over the curve of his belly, the narrow shaft of light like a streak of pure sunshine that eventually concludes in an inferno of flickering red-gold, which consumes the metallic hues leaving behind a light dusting of charcoal over rapacious talons.

Heat, not emanating from the sands so blatantly underfoot, but from all around, encompasses your being, a gentle invasion unwilling to be overlooked. A ray of heat sears through your mind, flickering flames caressing the edges of your senses, as it burns away all signs of oneness. A comet flares, healing where before it burnt -- two minds, two hearts, two beings -- but the two are not separate entities, but one, now totally fused. Intense, controlled passion sears through your being, joined by a voice, clear and strong, creating partnership, until you feel it was always this way. << Yours. Albanth is yours. Know this now and always K'tor. >>}

Cherry Blossom Egg stirs slightly, as if it were a delicate flower brushed by wind. Cracks begin to split along its surface -- the unfurling of petals seperating from the bud.
"...Well maybe I am not safe, well I think I am safe." Craw continues "I mean nothing will hurt me when I am here, oh is that something? I mean I hear something breaking. Monster? Did I hear the word monster?"

Imara looks blindly at the other candidates. "Marila? Congrats Marila," she says uncertainly.

Wishful Thinking Robe Mirage Hatchling tumbles a little, or at least the image it's portraying does -- the illusion falling over the sands like a piece of washing torn free from its line and sent to falling over the sands. Then, somehow, it's upright once more, walking -- yes, walking, ever thought what a walking robe could do to the senses? Eeek!

K'tor staggers, clutching Nareisa tighter for a moment, and then releasing her, stunned as he drops to the sands, oblivious to the heat. He groans incredulously, "Albanth. Yes, and I am yours, aren't I." His tone is soft, as he reaches out to soothe bronze eyeridges.

Nareisa nearly jumps out of her skin as not one but /two/ dragons descend on their little trio. "What?" blinkblink. "He's.. Kat..." blinkblink, stutterstutter. Suddenly there's /nobody/ to grab her hand. "Um... Kat..." she just points "He's lovely," backing away, nevertheless

Shadara grins and chuckles, "Well now, Kat got a bronze? That's going to prove interesting, Marila, K'tor, if the two of you could please follow me with your lifemates, we'll get them settled in the weyrling room where T'dru will help you."

Arliana hmms softly, probably inaudible to anoyone but those closest to her. "I can hear them, but I still can't see them.

Gemini peers and then wipes some sweat from his forehead "A robe?" Closing his eyes he shakes his head "I think the heat's getting to me.." Then another name floats from somewhere nearby "Albanth?"

K'tor nods dazedly to Shadara, climbing to his feet. He takes small steps to accompany Albanth, grinning large enough to fairly split his face.

You sense Albanth curls his thoughts around yours, a white-hot and metallic sensation brushing your mind - and impossibly soothing all the while. << We are each others' now and always and forever! >> Pleadingly and oh-so-charming, << Can we have a bite to eat, K'tor? My belly is the emptiest of caverns... >>

Imara arches an eyebrow. "K'tor? Who's K'tor?" Suddenly she answers her own question. "Oh, Katolnar! This heat must be frying my brain."

Shadara walks toward the Weyrling Room.
Shadara has left.

You walk over to the Weyrling Room.
Weyrling Room
You stand in the New Weyrling Area of Southern Weyr. This is a large room where the newly impressed Dragonets and Weyrlings are brought immediately after impression. There are several experienced riders hanging about in order to help make sure there is plenty of food available and that the new dragonets dont overeat. From here new weyrlings can catch glimpses of the rest of the hatching and see how their friends who remain on the sands are doing.
An arched doorway is set in the west wall, and a few steps lead down from there to the path outside, and smaller arches lead into the male and female barracks.
Contents:
Shadara
Xiuth
Miranor
T'dru
Iesath
Auralia

From the Sands> Raven nods and has stopped trying to see things at this point.

Albanth moves over from the sizzling hot sands.
Albanth has arrived.

From the Sands> Wishful Thinking Robe Mirage Hatchling wanders across the sands as it were blown that way -- slipping, sliding, dragging, and then, it stops, looking at a circle of candidates.

K'tor nods automatically. "Food. Right. Yes, of course. Meat." He tears his eyes from his bronze, searching. "Meat? Anyone?"

From the Sands> The Wishful Thinking Robe Mirage Hatchling coalesces into reality for one person as the mirage disappears, replaced by the reality of a Lustrous Emerald Green Hatchling gazing up into Raven's eyes -- Impression is a certainty.

A door opens to cast a shadow of a presence, like a painter consummating chiaroscuro and sfumato -- a contrast of light and shadow and subtle transitions between colours -- to clothe this hatchling in a glory of emerald satin. Like the finest gown, nary a wrinkle mars the perfection of the smooth, fiery green hue that attires her flanks. A cape of peridot cloaks the lustrous magnificence of her wings, limned with pale, silvered-mint that adorns her spars, as if the lining were visible. The only jewels she bears are the gleaming sapphires that circle her belly, changeable gems that darken with the hint of jade and shift to aquamarine as they curve down towards her ebony-slippered talons. A gleaming tiara -- headknobs that glisten as if finely oiled -- sits atop a perfect, wedge-shaped head, whilst pale filaments of gold cascade down her neckridges to her tail, reminiscent of long, perfectly coiffured, hair.

From the Sands> The heat becoming too unbearable on poor Aidan's eyes, he's resigned to keeping them shut. He relies on sound and Arliana to alert him of incoming hatchlings, even as he gently sways back and forth.

From the Sands> Cherry Blossom Egg begins to tremble, its entire surface seeming to vibrate from within. The petals begin to seperate from the blossom to drift away in the wind and scatter below on the sand. At first the shards are small, tiny and insignificant before gradually, larger ones flick away from the whole, which as yet imprisons the life within.

T'dru hears Auralia and strides quickly back over to one of several large oil buckets scattered around the room. "Auralia! Here. She'll be fine. Just slather some of this all over her and it'll take that away for a whole minute or two." He beams at the new pair.

Shadara grins, "K'tor and bronze Albanth and Marila and saith says Green Breidith." she says softly before heading back out to the sands.

Shadara walks toward the sizzling hot sands.
Shadara has left.

Iesath seems perfectly fine, except that her head is twisted about to peer at that odd patch on her back that's so uncomfortable. Crooning again, she nuzzles Auralia, so smart, she is, for figuring out what to do.

From the Sands> Raven blinks her eyes wide and times seems to stand still as she gazes at this dragonet before her. Tears well up in her eyes as she walks up to the dragonet, no longer caring for her feet and hangs her arms around the neck. "Oh Eilenth!" she cries. "I'll feed you."

From the Sands> Softer Sharper Light Mirage Hatchling sits amidst the heat haze, a pale mirage floating among the sands. There's the quick shimmering inspection of leftover shell on a foreleg. A vague shake and off it goes to investigate some interesting sound or other.

From the Sands> "K'tor? What is this? Who is that?" Craw says as he continues to talk, this time a tad more hesitant as he moves a tad closer to where there is a slight breeze from the dragonets movements "Uhm, anyone have any water?"

Albanth is none too graceful just yet, but he'll grow into himself by and by. He pads in behind his boy, burrowing crimson his muzzle gently into the boy's back, a sweet, insistent urging.

Auralia grabs the oil, hastily paddling the oil out and onto her hide, "Here you go, dear heart. Oil will make you feel better. Just relax, and I'll make you stop itching." Relax? Its Auri who needs to relax.

From the Sands> Nareisa ends up holding her own hand. Or wringing her hands, backing away from, well, nothing in particular, and almost colliding with someone as she does. "Sorry," she mumbles with considerable embarassment. "Was that Raven?" everything's going so quickly.

From the Sands> Rnayth rumbles happily, tail swishing back and forth as he watches dragonets discover their lifemates. His bronze hide gleams, shimmering like a tongue of fire in the waves of heat emminating from the sand.

Miranor's head tilts. "Clouds are in the sky...the...white things...oh..." It seems to suddenly dawn on her that these are things best left for another day. "I will tell you about everything soon, I promise." She feeds him carefully and nods. "You, dearheart, are also a very good thing, which I like as well." Congrats are quickly called to entering weyrlings.

K'tor nods. "Right. Yes. Food. Now. on the double." Babbling, he leads Albanth to a tub of meat, and then reaches in to feed him by hand. "Uh. You know how to chew, Albanth? Chew the meat before you swallow."

From the Sands> Gemini stops fanning as it's making him work up more of a sweat. He glances about and realizes he's not that close to anyone and closes up the space between he and the nearest candidate.

T'dru watches the progress of the oiling, grinning some at Auralia's nervousness. He looks at her, saying soothingly, "Slow down. She'll be fine you know." A quick look up at K'tor and Albanth and another grin follows the first, "Meat's in the buckets there."

Iesath snaps her wings open, the only part of her that hasn't quite dried yet, and promptly loses what balance she has, plopping backwards onto her rump. With a snort, she raises herself back up and dips a wing to let Auralia get to that nasty itchy spot.

From the Sands> Imara smiles at Raven as she feels Raven's hand slip out of hers. "Raven? I'm so happy for you! She's beautiful... I think."

From the Sands> Marila seems to have drawn a complete blank mentally, "Of course we'll never be apart Breidith.." She smiles and touches her hands over the dragonet.

Marila strides over from the sizzling hot sands.
Marila has arrived.

Breidith moves over from the sizzling hot sands.
Breidith has arrived.

Raven walks over from the sizzling hot sands.
Raven has arrived.

From the Sands> Delicate shivers whisper and caress the surface of the Cherry Blossom Egg -- as if the season were changing and the blossoms no longer blooming. Wavering in some unseen breeze, the ovoid trembles, like the breath of winter had kissed its shell, and fine webbed traceries curl their fingers around the circumference, until, it seems, the sap explodes in the bite of frost, the shell disintegrating into a million shards of porcelain.

From the Sands> Conor calls congradulations to various names he hears repeated.
From the Sands>

---*** Wide Brimmed Hat Mirage Hatchling ***---

The hot southern sun beats down on the already heated sands of the hatching ground, harshly bright, as shapes seem to move in the shimmer above the ground. Images weave themselves into a form -- straw shining, bright yellow. A wide brimmed hat develops -- much like field workers wear to keep the sun from their shoulders as they go about their chores -- formed of coiled braids of straw and grasses. And beneath it, Faranth-blessed shade is cast, as the hat hovers, shimmying just above the sands.

From the Sands> Stone Fortress Egg begins to wobble, though even now it seems far too solid to be broken.

Auralia giggles at the fall, telling Iesath, "Don't worry, you'll be fine." She stands up again, moving around the green to find the spots that itch most. Touching her lifemates hide and wings she shivers, gently, even with the heat.

Albanth asks << Can I have more than one piece at a time, K'tor? My belly is so very empty. Empty, empty, empty. I will chew them both, I will! >>

Eilenth moves over from the sizzling hot sands.
Eilenth has arrived.

Raven walks in and looks around, leading Eilenth. "I need food!" she says frantically.

Auralia calls out congratulations to the pairs just arriving, her eyes shining when she sees Raven and Marila, "I knew it!"

T'dru stands watchfully waiting for the next pair, a quiet smile reappearing at sight of Marila and Raven's appearance and their newly hatched lifemates. With quiet tones, he informs them where the food is first. That's obviously the most important thing.

K'tor shakes his head at Albanth. "Show me you can chew first, and then I will." He bargins lightly, "Don't want you to choke, love."

Xiuth appears to be absorbing everything his lifemate says, head cocked as he eats. A sniff is given towards Breidith as the green enters, then the blue's small body dances in a quick shaking shifting and his eyes darken to an annoyed orangy-yellow as he peers down at his belly.

From the Sands> Gemini takes a deep breath and coughs.."Shards I need some water.." He says to whom he's moved close to...

Breidith follows after her Marila, her gentle croons rising up from her, now all the greens of a peaceful forest Vale instead of horrible sand monster. Filling her eyes with the chestnut haired girl who's her lifemate, now, her croons slide into calls of a different note.

T'dru's eyes swivel as he hears mention of choking, his dark eyes regarding K'tor and Albanth carefully.

Eilenth rushes in behind Raven. Food, food, gimme food!!

From the Sands> Belira trips on her nearest neighbour. "I am SO sorry! Oh but did you see her? Or was it him? Just there!"

Raven takes some of the meat and hands it to the dragon's open maw. "Chew! Mash it with your teeth!" she says, trying to demonstrate by showing her with her own mouth.

From the Sands> Aidan's hand now free of Miranor's, since her Impression, he keeps this one tightly balled, the robe held in its confines. Eyes remain closed, and he smiles each time an Impression is called out, relying on others to give names rather than seeing for himself.

From the Sands> Arliana blows her hair out of her face, "So hot. How many more are there?"

Auralia's eyes fill with mirth, "No, love. I don't have hide like you, so I don't need to get oiled. But I can feel how much you like it. I will oil you often, I promise I will."

Miranor blinks. "Itch? Are you itchy," she wonders after watching Xiuth's little dance. "Tell me where and I'll put..." her eyes seek the cavern for, "Oil? Where? I think he needs...I know he does," she wonders and continues to spy.

From the Sands> Nareisa scoots a little closer to another voice, ending up somewhere near Arliana, almost stepping on her foot.

Eilenth peers at Raven. Oh, she knows. With that she opens her maw and masticates the food.

From the Sands> Imara now clutches her robe with both hands. She chuckles nervously. "I feel like I'm all by myself in the desert. It's almost like a dream..." she says to nobody in particular.

Raven throws the meat into the open maw, and bites her lip as she watches the dragonet very carefully to make sure she chews and doesn't choke. "Eat slowly!" she pleads.

From the Sands> Conor heads closer in, and ends up next to Imara. "There's still dragons out there - I think." He hedges lightly on this last.

Marila glances about startled, "Meat.. Breidith's hungry.."

From the Sands> Arliana erks and yanks her foot out of the way. She grabs Nareisa's hand in her free one.

From the Sands> Theida moves over towards where she heard Imara's voice from, "Imara? Are there?" she calls in the general direction of her friend. As the people on either side of her Impress, she's begun to feel rather lonely in the haze.

From the Sands> Wide Brimmed Hat Mirage Hatchling unfurls from the remnents of porcelin colored shards, spreading out wings like a big shadowy shade. It meanders away from egg shards, waddling uncertainly, an awkward creature on ungainly limbs. A muzzle lifts, mouth gaping for air in the wretched heat that seems to bake upwards in the still air.

Xiuth noses down towards his belly again, raising a foreleg and almost falling over in the process before leaning against Miranor. She'll support him, he's sure of it.

T'dru actually picks up one available bucket and sets it down near Marila and Breidith before moving off to a more watchful position.

K'tor has eyes only for Albanth, and this time he gives the bronze two smallish chunks. "Chew. And Chew and Chew before you swallow."

Iesath continues to croon softly and happily as Auralia fixes all of her problems. Food and itching taken care of for the moment, she looks around the room quickly at the other hatchlings, including them in a semi-maternal, welcoming croon. She's the oldest, after all. :)

From the Sands> Nareisa sqeezes Arliana's hand, looking quite a bit relieved. "I can't tell. There seem so many."

From the Sands> The Sands' shards now competing in number with the still-intact eggs, the Sunset Arch Egg and the Highland Barricade Egg both shudder for a moment, then split into myriad tiny pieces, releasing twin greens to stumble from their shells. One of the hatchlings heads for a boy from the Winecraft, and the other moves off towards Gresel, a girl from Southern Hold. Both new pairs are helped to the corner of the Sands.

From the Sands> Gemini wipes his hands off on his robe and continues to shuffle "I'd have to agree with Conor.." as he finds himself by that bunch.

Breidith begins rather frantic creelings, her voice rising in pitch, hunger tainting it. As a bucket appears before her, the awkward green surges forwards.

Albanth just about preens, lowering his jaw to rest on his favorite person's knee, his eyes alive with adoration for his K'tor. And with his delight at receiving not one but a heaping /two/ hunks at meat. In time to the commands, he chews, chews, chews. And then gulps a swallow.

From the Sands> Imara nods at Conor. "I have no idea. I don't know what's happening any more." As she hears another familiar voice, she replies, "Yes Theida, I'm here."

From the Sands> "Is that a breeze I feel, I mean I wish it was a breeze, I mean it is never this hot in Tillek, how come it is so hot here. The sands are hot, is that a dragonet hatching? Did somebody just impresses? OH I hope you are happy, I mean what is it like? I mean is it good?" Craw says as he makes another baby step towards the eggs.

Marila reaches into the bucket, "Hold on love.. here.." She offers up a chunk to the green, "Here.."

From the Sands> Several people attempt to fan themselves to rid themselves of the heat, but even that small action is nothing compared to the full force of the sun beating down. Eventually they give up.

"Oof," Miranor ushers out in a breath, "I've got you...now let's see." Oil within reach, she dunks her hands into it and just starts slathering. "Here, how's this? Good?" Hands rub and fingertips attempt to help. "I want you to feel good, that's all," she tells him.

From the Sands> Softer Sharper Light Mirage Hatchling moves slowly along, pausing here and there. Some particular sound's drawing it onwards across the heatladen sands, a mere mirage wafting along towards that ever so interesting hum of a vibration. A whuffling croon sounds loudly, the only thing marking its playful squishsquishing passage.

From the Sands> The uncomfortableness raises degree by painstaking degree. Sweat trickles between shoulder blades, causing squirming throughout the galleries. Another drudge crew passes through with cold damp towels, followed by a crew with dry ones for cleaning up.

From the Sands> Stone Fortress Egg shudders as the insistent occupant continues on its assault of the prison.

K'tor doesn't even notice the heat as he plops two more chunks into Albanth's maw. "Again. Chew." He grins, unable to resist melting when he looks into the bronze's eyes.

Eilenth croons and snaps up the meat ravenously, swallowing chunks and stopping to chew at Raven's pleadings. She's so hungry! Her tummy aches so! More meat!

Breidith opens her maw wide, eyelids held back as far as possible, the young green eager to fill her belly. The chunk of meat offered to her disappears down her throat in one quick gulp. Mouth still agape, she blinks her eyelids slowly.

From the Sands> The Deep Dank Darkness Egg and Sea Deep Coral Egg split open at practically the same time, spilling a green and a blue in different directions. Each of the dragonets turns to gaze at the other for a long moment in curiosity, then with sniffs and two tiny croons, they move in the direction of the circle of candidates. A slim young lad from Island River with an engaging smile drops to his knees and wraps his arms around the blue's neck, calling out the name of his lifemate; the green, giving a nudge to a sturdy blonde-haired lass from Cove Hold, makes her own choice as an assistant weyrlingmaster helps the first pair to a corner of the Sands.

From the Sands> Gemini's hand runs throught sweat soaked hair and he peers out over the sands hoping to catch some motion.

You sense Albanth favors you again with that fiery metallic baritone, the passion of his mental voice never seeming to dull from Impression onward. << Perfect, perfect. I am chewing, I am! What will we do after this, K'tor? What will we see next? >>

From the Sands> Wide Brimmed Hat Mirage Hatchling begins to list, drunkenly, dazedly drifting toward a specific direction though it meanders all over the place as if the heat were too much. Then it seems to drift into a massive shade casting over the sands. Is that its sire? Perhaps. The dragonet stops just below Rnayth, sagging there for a moment or two and not moving, as if unable to move in the heat, relaxing in the respite. Rnayth doesn't give the little creature an oppertunity to make its home there, his fiery muzzle dips, nudging the tired little dragon to its feet. It takes a few more hitching steps, a wanderer lost in the desert of the Hatching sands.

Auralia turns away from her lifemate for a minute and looks around the room to find faces she knows well, adn to miss faces she wants to see. She looks back to Iesath and laughs, "Not all oil and food, love. But a lot. You will eat a a lot and grow a lot and I'll oil you a lot and eventually we will fly together and do lots of wonderful things."

From the Sands> Arliana nods, "They're everywhere. I can hear'm but can't se'm til they're right there."

From the Sands> A repetitive, insistent tap-tapping is heard from the inside of the Adamantine Monolith Egg, vibrating the shell more and more as a splotch of brown body seeks to press through. With little but his head and neck exposed, the brown dragonet lets out a harsh creel that shakes a blue-eyed Harper from her sweaty daze, sending her to cradle the screeching dragonet tenderly.

Raven continues to feed the meat to the dragonet, small chunks, knowing full well that the young green won't always listen to her and chew so she is very careful not to give her any chunks that she could choke on.

Xiuth seems to relax like a feline - all in one boneless flop - as Miranor rubs the oil onto his belly. He noses her arm and crooooooons his relief, blinking eyes that have returned to a happy blue that practically matches his hide in hue.

From the Sands> Nareisa suddenly gets a glimpse through the heat. "That looks like N'all's hat!" whoops, did she yell that out loud?

From the Sands> Some absently rub at arms which the sun has already begun to turn a deep rosy red. Those who weren't adequately tanned should be by the time the day is done.

Eilenth snaps up the meat with her darting maw. She tries to chew, really she does and she continues to eat the meat that her loving and wonderful lifemate is feeding her. She's so nice.

From the Sands> N'all's chuckle at Nareisa's statement indicates that Nareisa did indeed yell it out loud.

K'tor laughs, "You'll finish eating first. Then we'll see the whole *world* Albanth." He amends, "Soon as N'all says we can." He offers more meat.

From the Sands> The Citadel in the Air Egg quivers, rocking in its place amidst the sand and remaining eggs. Suddenly it shatters under pressure from within, bursting into myriad tiny fragments to leave a tiny blue hatchling standing in its place. The blue steps forward hesitantly, then trips over a shard of shell in its path, which sends the dragonet into a tumble of wings, legs, and tail. A small lad from the Minecraft darts out and helps the hatchling to its feet, and as the blue stands, his eyes lock with the boy's and Impression is made.

Raven continues to feed the dragonet meat, slowly as the green's hunger subsides slowly... very slowly.

From the Sands> Theida finds her way to Imara's side, but in this heat, she'd rather have any more skin on skin contact than absolutely nessesary and doesn't move to hold hands. "When will it end?" she moans quietly.

Albanth doesn't gobble so much as inhale K'tor's offerings, somehow managing to taste as he makes rapid work of chewing. Not TOO rapid, of course, for K'tor has told him to chew and chew he will. The crackle of a croon escapes his throat at the promise, and he nudges his weyrling's shoulder none too carefully. Hope he grows out of that, too.

From the Sands> Conor rubs at his eyes, "How many are left? Can anyone see?"

Iesath tests her wings, which are nearly dry now, again, then folds them back to her sides. No flying yet, it seems, but somehow it's okay. She leans trustingly against Auralia, content now merely to touch and be near this fabulous young lady.

From the Sands> Gemini wipes a hand across the back of his neck and winces "I don't know.." he manages to croak from dry throat.

From the Sands> Arliana cracks a grin, "Hwy, it's big enough to fit.. " She shakes her head quickly. "Find someone."

From the Sands> Shadara chuckles and sips from her water flask, beads of coldness rolling down the sides of the metal as she takes a nice drink from it, then puts it back away to wait for the next impressed pair.

Eilenth eats more slowly now, chewing each hunk of meat that it tossed into her open maw with patience, her eyes whirling a soft cerulean blue of contented happiness as her tail reaches around to wrap lovingly around Raven.

From the Sands> Ice. The insides of a mountain cave. Deepest winter at High Reaches. All these thoughts race throu your mind as you mentally try to escape from the sweltering heated humidity.

From the Sands> Softer Sharper Light Mirage Hatchling shivers its way ever onwards, a wave of heat stalking an icy wind to cool down. A brief image of rippling waters as if it's giving a hop of sorts. Another interested creel to mark its passages but that's about all that can be known as to where this dragonet's going.

From the Sands> Aidan does indeed arch one brow at the speaking of hats. One brow, followed by one eyelid to peer out at the eggs, a grin cracking his lips as he sees aforementioned hatchling.

Miranor lets out an obvious sigh of relief touched a little bit with joy. "All better? Yes...I bet that was some itch from your expression," she speaks to Xiuth softly and smiles. "You are welcome," is a reply to an unspoken word. "We will be very happy together. Hrm...do you want wa...the drippy stuff from before?"

Raven smiles and then blinks at Eilenth. "Oil? Oil! She's got an itch!" she says and looks around for a bucket and brush. "Where's the oil?" she asks out loud.

From the Sands> Nareisa rubs her arm, catches the chuckle, and her face goes as red as the rest of her is turning. "Whoops."

From the Sands> Softer Sharper Light Mirage Hatchling moves steadily across the sands, a patch of muted light seemingly cast by a much gentler sun than the one that hangs in the skies above. Inexorably, it works its way towards a cluster of white robed candidates, singling out one to suffuse with gentle rays. The contrasting sharp, clear lines surrounding the softer rush in, to expose a sun drenched brown hatchling, just as he stares up into Conor's eyes.

Caught in the whimsy of the wind, an endless sea of sun-caressed grass bows and weaves, rolling in waves across the deserted landscape of this scorched-brown hatchling. Grasses -- dried by an unrelenting summer sun -- ripple over his shoulders in parched prairie-browns, whilst mahogany, dappled with shadow, shades his back -- the quiet solitude and sanctuary of a copse and the mystery of concealed prey hiding from hunters. Secrets lurk in the darkness of his belly, forgotten caves of impending doom suggested in the lifeless dark, contrasting sharply with the sun-touched golden-browns that tickle his nose and highlight his eyeridges as they cascade in wind-driven fury down his neck to his tail. A fine brown dust covers his pinions, thickening along leading edges, then dissipating in wispy trails over the grassy, thin membranes of his wings, their hue reminiscent of trampled grass, each stem bent in a different direction, then beaten firmly into the earth.

From the Sands> The Tranquil Golden Spirit Egg wobbles, first this way then that way, moving in a slow rocking motion from side to side. It stills as if waiting for all eyes to fix on it, then with one deliberate rap from the inside, the concealing shell splits apart. Damp shards fall free from a small white gold hatchling, her eyes whirling in hungry orange tones. Gathering herself with as much dignity as possible, she gets her feet under him, tail splayed behind for balance. Scanning the darkened sands, she searches knowingly for that other half of herself. Maybe -that- one will take care of this particular problem, if she can just get her feet to move the right way. A stumbling progress across the sands, and the tiny queen dragonet makes her weaving way right to the one she knew would be there, a blonde young woman from Island River Hold, one who's clumsiness sparked speculations on how she survived to become a Searchable age. Belira's long-fingered hand reaches out and scratches in a tender caress under the urgently crooning hatchling's eyeridges, voice shaky from the indescribable joy of impression. "Yes, Feilynth. We are together."

From the Sands> Tiarnath bugles loudly, sitting up on her haunches as her newest daughter impresses, then with a whuffle, she turns to watch a another mirage wander across the sands.

From the Sands> Imara smiles at the blurred shape of Theida. "I don't know. Hopefully soon." She pushes away wet curls that have escaped from her runnertail. "Someone Impressed... Was that Belira?"

From the Sands> C'nor's eyes go wide. He reaches to sooth an eyeridge as he grins. "Yes, Llasath. Food. We will eat, now, Faranth, you're *starving!"

T'dru blinks at Raven, his voice raising some to penetrate the haze of new dragonet impression. "Oil's right behind you, Raven."

From the Sands> Aidan's eyes go open at the gold's hatching and he nudges Arliana. "Another from Island River! And a gold, at that!" he gushes in a hushed whisper, proud of "his" hold.

K'tor soothes eyeridges as Albanth eats, and then finally tears his eyes from him long enough to grin at Marila.

From the Sands> Nareisa pokes Arliana. "She had the cot next to mine." She rubs her head. Probably in memory.

From the Sands> Arliana grins over at Aidan, "She's beautiful."

From the Sands> Shadara chuckles and moves over to C'nor, "This way C'nor, Llasath. T'dru will help you feed him."

Raven turns around and trips over something, not paying attention to what it is and grabs the oil, brushing it in behind Eilenth's shoulder, careful to stroke it in evenly.

From the Sands> Craw jumps back at the loud bugle of Tiarnath and then falls down only to scramble back up again. What little progress he made going towards the egg's has stopped as he says "Oh, i hope that wasn't bad,I mean that was loud, I hope everyone is okay, I mean is she okay?"

From the Sands> Arliana oof, poked and nudged.

From the Sands> Chips of shell peel away from the Wasteland Mirage Egg like the rind of a redfruit, revealing a large bronze hatchling who gives forth a tiny trumpet as his body is unveiled for all to see. He preens for a moment, totally intent on making himself respectable before stepping daintily from the splinters of his egg. As he passes each candidate, he stares up into their eyes, trying to find the one who calls to the fine figure he presents. 'Ahh, this one looks right' his whole body seems to say as he blinks three sets of eyelids up at Garvven, a stocky lad from the Weavercraft, who seems shocked. "Are you sure?" G'ven queries hesitantly, then bursts into a huge grin as the bronze places his snout against the hem of his robe with a snort.

From the Sands> Rnayth joins Tiarnath in concert with his triumphant bugle of pleasure.

Albanth stirs somewhat, one reddish talon edging its way toward the meat pail as his glimmering wedge raises some from K'tor's lap. His belly beginning to bulge and his lids beginning to droop, he nonetheless reaches to tip over and perhaps study the contents of the meat bin while K'tor's not looking.

From the Sands> C'nor nods, dazed, and heads where Shadara indicates.

C'nor walks over from the sizzling hot sands.
C'nor has arrived.

From the Sands> Gemini blinks as things happen and a brown stands in front of Conor..mmm C'nor "Congrats.." He manages and just stares.

Eilenth croons and lays her head out lengthily and shakes it a little in comfort before sticking her snout into another bucket of meat and nibbling while her lifemate oils her itchy hide.

From the Sands> Nareisa blinks. "Gee I hope she doesn't fall over her lifemate's feet..." whoops.

From the Sands> As if reluctant to reveal its contents, Staircased Pyramid Egg has taken its time about hatching today. Suddenly, like a pile of sweetening caught in a sudden downpour, the shell seems to melt and a green hatchling rolls out from its confines. She gets to her feet with a warble of surprise, then plows her way to a girl with red curly hair from Southern Hold, who strokes the green's neck and says proudly, "Of course we will!"

Xiuth straightens back up so his own legs are supporting him instead of Miranor's, then gives a tentative rumble for some reason or another. As the sound comes out of his throat, he takes a step back, blinking several times in evident surprise.

Raven smiles and continues to oil the green hide. "Oh you are so perfect Eilenth." she murmurs as she does so, making sure to make the entire hide nice and shiny with the oiling.

From the Sands> Despite its appearance otherwise, the Stone Fortress Egg is forced to submit to the whims of the hatching-frenzied dragonet trapped within. As the walls of its prison weather and crumble with the ever-increasing number of fissures that dart over its surface, the rocking becomes more furious lasting for several long moments. Finally, its rigid grey shell succumbs to the desire for release from the stony confines, collapsing the fortress as the hatchling wins free in a spray of shards.

Miranor giggles. "That is your stomach...or one of them, I think," she tells Xiuth and strokes his muzzle softly. "And what I had was water, which is very good, like the meat," is further explained before she fills the cup she drowned with more and offers it to him.

From the Sands>

---*** Watery Desert Oasis Mirage Hatchling ***---

The heated air just above the sands plays havoc with the sunlight, turning it into liquid incandescence, flowing between the eggs. As if rippling downstream, the dancing light pools, and a cool oasis grows there -- right in the middle of the hatching sands! Palm trees grow tall, leafy green fronds casting cool shadows over the promise of water, cooling the air in this small area. Glimpses of shining waters can be caught between bowed smooth trunks, invitingly cool, a definite relief to the scorching sands.

From the Sands> Wide Brimmed Hat Mirage Hatchling stops again, head tilting, as if listening to something special -- precious. Was that a moan? Then it continues to waddle forward, determined now, fierce -- this heat won't beat! Brilliant eyes gaze up into blue framed in black. A face? What is that white headband thing? The dragonet croons, relief. Solace from the fiery pit of the sands.

From the Sands> Wide Brimmed Hat Mirage Hatchling is caught in a flurry of activity as it bounds over the sands, almost as if tossed in the breeze. That is until the moment she finds -her- candidate among the sea of hopefuls. At that moment, the blue-tinged, vibrant green hide becomes still as the hatchling stares into Theida's eyes.

Hidden in the very heart of the coldest tundra, a dainty slip of emerald -- a verdant thread of greenery thriving amid the snow and ice -- is visible, the lush green of an affluent vale, kissed by afternoon shadows, dappling the hide of this hatchling. Cold aquamarine brushes over her flanks, the suggestion of the bleak, snow-covered expanse hidden by the oaken-greens, and interspersed with faceted, ice-emeralds that sparkle, as if caught in a ray of sunlight. Frost-rimed greens embrace her extremities -- from muzzle, to neckridges, to the decisive fork of her tail -- seeming to encase the opulent emerald that blankets the majority of her hide. Fronds of fern-green spread to darken the dusky expanse of her luxuriant wingsails, lightening as the uncurl towards her pinions, tipped there with spirals of misty-greens and watery-blues that trickle over and then down her belly to her blackened, predacious talons.

From the Sands> Aidan looks out at the newest hatchling, grinning as he turns away again. But then his gaze is pulled back, a fist rubbing his eyes to clear his vision. "D'you... do you see what I see?" he asks Arliana, pointing in the direction of the oasis.

From the Sands> Nareisa blinkblinks. "Did the N'all hatchling just look at Theida?" Ok, maybe her name isn't Nallth... but it could be.

From the Sands> Gemini wipes at sweat again as he looks back out towards where there should be eggs and shapes. He then blinks as a blur of green appears before Theida and smiles.

Xiuth recovers quickly from his shock over the sound he produced and noses the cup for a moment before sticking snout into it. Or as much of his blue muzzle as will fit, anyway. Bubbles come boiling out of the container as Xiuth snorts, then the liquid disappears almost as quickly as the meat did earlier.

From the Sands> Theida blinks as the object she'd written off as N'all head becomes a hatchling, no, /her/ hatchling. She reaches out to the little one, "Ysabeth."

From the Sands> Arliana leans over, pressing against Aidan for a second to look where he's looking, "See? Green?Maybe Something." She shifts around some more, trying to find what he;s looking at.

From the Sands> Imara peers at something that comes close to Theida. "What is that? Ysabeth? Oh... congrats."

From the Sands> Shadara chuckles softly and weaves her way towards Theida, waiting for the young girl and the green to get to know each other, "Come on, you can feed Ysabeth in the Weyrling room."

Theida strides over from the sizzling hot sands.
Theida has arrived.

From the Sands> Craw does notice Thieda impressing and that kinda makes him quiet for a moment before saying "Uhm, I guess that mean's I am going to the mountains alone, I mean how long is it before the hatchings can walk, I mean well I am happy but well, I uhm, it is Thieda right, I mean, I did see that. Did theida impress?"

From the Sands> Ysabeth eagerly cuddles into the welcome embrace, nuzzling her head into a comforting belly and half collapsing against Thieda. Heartfelt crooning thrums from the small green as she relishes the contact. Then, the contact departs and she quickly waddles after. Hey. Wait for me!

Eilenth peers up at Raven, crooning sweetly at her new lifemate, blinking all three eyelids.

From the Sands> Gemini turns and nods at Craw "Yes a pretty green she called Ysabeth.." A hand absently lifting to catch the runnel of sweat about to fall into his eyes.

From the Sands> Nareisa scoots closer to Arliana. "That was a lovely name," she murmurs.

From the Sands> Opulent Ablution Egg rolls, grains of sand rolling down the sides of the the egg as it starts to creak. The movements come out of nowhere, considering how still it's creamy yellowness has been for the last little while.

Ysabeth moves over from the sizzling hot sands.
Ysabeth has arrived.

Raven smiles at the crooning dragonet and works on oiling her really well. "Are you still hungry? Do you want more? Did I miss a spot?" she asks and then moves to oil Eilenth's wings. "This one? Is this the one?" she asks, so ready to help her dragon.

From the Sands> Aidan's gaze is obviously captured by the... trees, water, everything the oasis hatchlings seems to present. "Amazing." A single word, uttered by Aidan as foot-alternating is momentarily forgotten in silent wonder.

K'tor looks back at the clatter of the meat bucket going over and he scolds fondly, "Albanth. Dear heart. What did you... Here. You can't have all of that."

From the Sands> Watery Desert Oasis Mirage Hatchling begins flowing over the sands, surging toward the candidates one moment, ebbing back toward the relative safety off the eggs the next.

From the Sands> Valley of Death Egg wobbles a little bit as the life inside decides it's about time to start getting on with the task at hand ...

From the Sands> Imara sighs and wraps her arms around her self as once again the people around her Impress. She looks up at the sky, but only for a moment. "Even the sky is a blur."

From the Sands> Nareisa nudges Arliana "That one's pretty," but the direction she's pointing in could indicate anything.

From the Sands> Gemini steps closer to Imara and nods "Everything is.." He murmurs softly.

Breidith opens her maw wide, eyelids held back as far as possible, the young green eager to fill her belly. The chunk of meat offered to her disappears down her throat in one quick gulp. Mouth still agape, she blinks her eyelids slowly. (repose)

You sense Albanth tilts his perfectly rainbow eyes back to view you, blinking inner lids almost coyly up at you. << I wasn't going to /eat/ it, K'tor. I only wanted to /see/ it. >> All over the floor.

From the Sands> Arliana nods at Nareisa, "It's lovely." She follows the same hatchling Aidan does, "Water."

Raven sritches and oils at the same time, very careful not to abrase the hide. She swallows and continues to do so, very much. "Is it feeling better?" she asks.

Marila shakes her head, "Love I think you need to chew it.." She offers another chunk of course.

From the Sands> Tiarnath bugles proudly, the tones loud and ringing, as another of her eggs hatch and the dragonet finds a lifemate, her eyes gleaming emerald in excitement and her wings half-unfurling as she watches closely aiming to see as much as she can.

Miranor giggles and grabs another nearby cup. "Here you are, it's good, hmm," she says to him and smiles so wide her face may end up hurting her in the morn. "Yes, all good...and you are very good, too, dearheart...very good indeed."

K'tor melts again as he looks down at Albanth. "All right. You can see it. But I have to put it back up." He starts piling meat back into the bucket. "Aren't you hungry any more?"

From the Sands> Telinda strokes one hand along Tiarnath's hide, her expression bright as she follows the various hatchings and Impressions. The gold curves her neck around to touch Telinda gently on one shoulder before she turns back to the clutch, bugling exuberantly.

Raven smiles and continues to oil about on the hide until she is sure she's covered just about every square inch on that dragon's hide before looking at the Eilenth. "Hungry? Thirsty? Itchy? Do you need anything?" she asks, helpfully.

Breidith opens her mouth wide again, greenish tongue waggling between rows of shining white teeth. The meat sits on her tongue, jostled around a little, and then in a great gulp disappars.

As Iesath settles down, her stomach full and her itches stopped, Auri gazes around, looking and grinning to everyone she knows, "Congratulations to all!" She says, loudly, even though she knows quite well that most of them will be too busy to respond. Then she settles back down to watch her won beloved lifemate.

From the Sands> Opulent Ablution Egg shudders harder as the occupant inside struggles to break through the sand colored shell that surrounds it. Faint shimmers seem to roll across the water bath on the bottom of the shell, is an earthquake bothering the desert pool? Whatever it is it's causing the sword wielders to dance as the egg's current inhabitant tries it's hardest to break free.

Marila giggles helplessly, "Love please chew.." She makes motions of her mouth chewing as she offers another large chunk of meat to the green.

From the Sands> Several more eggs in the middle of the clutch roll into each other, and shimmery shapes run and tumble across the sands, finding lifemates with exhuberant bugles of delight.

Albanth turns his attention to the meat being put away, the wistful tendril of a sigh escaping his muzzle as he watches his lifemate clean. He leans back onto his haunches, wings folded with hatchling clumsiness along his ruddy sides to reveal his lumpy, bulging belly.

Ysabeth rushes up to Thieda -- how dare she get left behind, hrmm? She croons again, instantly nudging at her lifemate. Insistant, she bugles then. Food!

From the Sands> Imara smiles at Gemini. "It's kind of like being in some sort of bubble... Isolated from the rest of the world." She shrugs and passes a hand over her face. "Hmm, I think this heat really is getting to me."

Raven's shoulders slump a little, and she looks like she might cry as she walks up and hugs the dragon's neck. "I'll never leave you Eilenth! Never ever!" she says, closing her eyes and holding on tight to the dragonet.

You sense Albanth bespeaks you with << I am so full now - my belly will burst soon! But my lids are so heavy, so heavy. >>

Xiuth croons to Miranor again, then turns to look at Breidith and her meat-waggling display. Something about that seems to fascinate the little blue, and he turns his head back to his lifemate to regard her with a quizzical, and possibly pleading, expression.

Breidith warbles in suprise, and this time works her jaw around the chunk of meat, squishing it, and slicing it between sharp teeth. Chomp, chomp, chomp, *gulp* Crooon?

From the Sands> Gemini nods as he wipes purple hair back "And the only thing you can see is heat and more heat." He agrees shaking the sweat from his hand.

From the Sands> Nareisa twists her head around. "I wonder where they go when they leave?" craning her neck, attention away from eggs and hatchlings for now to peer in the direction the new weyrlings are disappearing into. "I wonder how Kat and Marila are doing? Do you suppose it's cooler in there?" babble babble.

Raven hugs the dragon very tightly. "You are so wonderful Eilenth. You are perfect. Everything about is perfect. I love you too."

Marila grins brightly, "Yes love yes! Exactly.. More?" She holds out another chunk.

From the Sands> Watery Desert Oasis Mirage Hatchling begins drifting away from the eggs as Tiarnath's bugles ring around the grounds. With motions like that of someone who has spent months at sea, the hatchling sways in an effort to reach the candidates/

From the Sands> Fissures, almost imperceptible as they trail across the smooth surface of the Opulent Ablution Egg, ripple along the creamy surface -- like someone entering a hot spa, taking care not to disturb the surface too badly -- to embrace to envelop this richly decorated ovoid. Several long breaths pass, the sentinels guarding the surface divided by the ever-widening cracks, before a loud, unmistakable fracturing is heard and the egg is no more.

K'tor reaches out, after wiping a bloody hand on his white, now very grubby robe. He traces a careful hand over Albanth's belly, and murmurs, "Yes, you are full, aren't you." He looks around for a weyrlingmaster, abruptly anxious that he let him overeat. "And tired, yes. It took a lot of energy to break out of that shell."

Theida nods, "Yes, of course Ysabeth." She hurries to get the young green a small chunk of meat. "Now, eat it slow. Don't just swallow it, smash it up with your teeth."

From the Sands>

---*** Cool Shaded Cavern Mirage Hatchling ***---

The sunlight seems to flicker in that layer floating just above the sands, the luminous mist of pure heat that separates sand from air. Do the harsh rays shun one place, casting a shadow there? Dapples of shade flicker around the outskirts, as if shadows cast by leafy trees played across the sands. While deeper obscuration -- the cool shade provided by a protected cavern -- seems to appear, forming a solid entity of relief from the sun. There, the humid air would turn to cool dampness, a refreshing escape from the feverish temperatures outside.

Miranor gives Xiuth a quick but heartfelt hug before leaning back. "More meat? Are you ready to get some more into your belly? Aaah," she then says and nods to a quiet remark. "If you would like, yes, we can do that...it does look like fun, hrm?"

From the Sands> Valley of Death Egg wobbles more energetically. The occupant's struggles cause the waves of sand on it's surface to undulate and shift as if by a wind. A wind that would be most welcome. A slight cracking sound can be heard, as if the egg itself was subject to tectonic forces. In a way, it is, the life inside causing instability on the surface.

Breidith eagerly snaps at the meat, and chews obediently, her whirling eyes loosing their hungry red tinge. Her forepaw, talons pulled back so as to not cause harm, reaches up to press against her lifemate, Marila, in her eagerness.

From the Sands> Aidan's vision quietly slips fromt he oasis hatchling to gaze in almost sad recognition at the Sands. Very few Candidates left. "How many are left?" he asks, leaning over towards Arliana.

Marila grins at the green, her free hand reaching out to scratch at the ivy traced muzzle, "Lovely.."

From the Sands> Nareisa whips back in time to see the cool shaded hatchling. "Oh, look at that," nudging Arliana again. Poor Arliana's side. "That one looks so cool," whistfully. "I hope the heat doesn't hurt it."

From the Sands> Imara nods, "Just heat... And those things I keep seeing. I'm not sure if they're real or just my imagination."

Ysabeth carefully inspects the offering lengthily, gazing at it with opalescent eyes. Then she creels a questioning sound, looking up at Theida uncertainly before abruptly diving forward and snatching at the meat, jaws closing centimeters from delicate fingers and tearing the meat away. She gobbles, jaws tearing, and then she swallows. Someone wasn't listening when instructions were given.

Raven smiles and starts to look around. "I hadn't even noticed them, love. Yes, they are my friends. You will get to know them." she says, softly and rubs the dragon's neck with a hand, never wanting to stop touching the young dragonet with any part of her body. "They are all friends."

You sense Albanth caresses your mind with the curled, smoky sigh, his words ringing with a faintly metallic echo. << It was, K'tor! But I knew I would find you on the other side, and we'll have such fun. Such fun! Only, I feel... I believe it is an itch, K'tor. On the fork of my tail, an itch. >>

From the Sands> Watery Desert Oasis Mirage Hatchling is finally puzzled into the more certain shape of a midnight blue - the once nebulous shape coalescing into the definitive form of a dragonet settled on his shaded haunches, his muzzle tipped upward as whirling eyes demand the attention of Nareisa, his chosen one.

As daylight descends over the horizon, and twilight uncurls its fingers across the land, carved stone buttresses transform from warm golden-stone to cold blue-adamantine -- odd patches, like the growth of moss, turned marine-blue by the encroaching darkness that covers the hide of this granite-blue hatchling. Cimmerian shapes hide within the dusk of his flanks, swirling over his shoulders with hints of mystery and suspense to form patterns that dwell amongst the shadows. The serpentine curve of his neck gleams with the multitudinous hues of an evening sky, burgeoning with specks of light from the effulgent stars, though each ridge is like the craggy peak of a mountain, capped in snow and ice and that glows in an eerie turquoise. His belly is shrouded in cerulean and azure, which spiral upwards, clinging around his legs and then winding its way up and over his wings, as if mists drifted upwards from the foot of a tower, to its high, slated peak.

From the Sands> Gemini sighs audibly "You see them too.." Relief in his voice. Hand goes back to rub at his neck.

T'dru squats down near K'tor, eyeing the pair silently and Albanth's distended stomach. "He looks just right. They always look...bulgy sort of at first. Don't forget the oiling part of things now or he'll drive you crazy with his itching as soon as he realizes he's had enough to eat."

Raven smiles a little and hmms. "Friends are people you care about." she says after thinking a moment. "People you like and want to spend time with and hope they are happy too."

Breidith warbles happily, her mutlifaceted eyes focussing on the face before her, surrounded in chestnut curls. A warm whuffle, and the dragonet drops back down to all fours, nuzzling at the nearly empty bucket of food. Apparently, hungry, still.

Xiuth gives a tiny but pleased rumble as Miranor hugs him, then looks over his shoulder at Breidith again. Something about that green's way of eating is positively enchanting to the blue.

From the Sands> Arliana leans over in turn a bit towards Nareisa, "CAn you see how many? I can count... a few, I can't tell, all the haze."

K'tor nods to T'dru, "Yes. He was just saying he thought he itched. I learned with my lizard. But he's so tired..." He urdge Albanth up gently, and towards the oil. "Won't be long until you can really sleep, love."

Albanth tilts his head slightly to look up at the person - not K'tor - so near him. His sinuous neck reaches out slightly, muzzle almost brushing T'dru's arm as he venture a curious whuffle. He studies T'dru a moment longer before he looks back to K'tor, whom he seems to find infinitely more intriging even as his itching tail twitches.

From the Sands> Ripples fracture the shell of the Valley of Death Egg, as if this were a desert wasteland, the ground finally succumbing to the heat of day -- the earth so parched, and yet the relentless sun squeezes more moisture from its surface with every moment. The heat that embraces this ovoid seems to slowly crush its surface, giving little final warning of its imminent destruction, almost lost in a blinding flash of shards which vanishes into the sizzling sands.

Marila offers one of the last chunks of meat to Breidith, "Don't want you to go hungry.. after all you will be growing.." The former gardener glances suspiciously at Xiuth.

From the Sands> Imara grins as she rubs her eyes. "Yes. One second I think I see something, the next it's gone."
From the Sands>

---*** Snowy Wastes Ice Mirage Hatchling ***---

Through the undulating waves of heat hovering just above the sands, images vacillate and congeal into a whole. The promise of cold to replace the heat -- just a breath away -- takes form in a semblance of ice from the snowy wastes far to the south. Crisp white frost can almost be discerned, as the humidity of the tropical air condenses, broken here and there by glistening trickles as the sun battles its foe.

From the Sands> Arliana blinkis, then jerks back, stumbling towards Aidan, "One less?"

T'dru blinks at K'tor and stands up, nodding once. "He'll sleep of course, but better for a good oiling. Trust me."

From the Sands> Cool Shaded Cavern Mirage Hatchling slinks about from shadow to shadow, drifting across the sands, or is it. Something moves, or perhaps it was just a ripple of a cloud across the sun, or one of your fellow candidate's shadow being caught from the corner of your eye.

Raven grins broadly at the fact that Eilenth wants to make friends. "Of course! We'll do everything together Eilenth. We'll always be together." she says, matter of factly and firmly.

You sense Albanth bespeaks you with << When will it be, K'tor? Can we not creep off while that fellow isn't looking and have a nap and come back later? No one will notice, no one. >>

Miranor lifts the bowl she had placed down when Xiuth seemed sated. She dangles some meat just afront of his muzzle and can't hide her somewhat giddy smile. "Like this," she wonders of her new lifemate and chuckles. "If I do it too fast, tell me dearheart..."

From the Sands> Nareisa mutters "I'm so hungry. I haven't eaten for so long." She peers at the blue "Yes, Niaeth, of course I'm yours, I know they're all going somewhere, there will be food there." Or there'd better be. Or something.

Iesath gives a low croon to all her clutchmates, still very maternal.

From the Sands> Aidan frowns slightly, moving backwards slightly, his hold on Arliana's hand relinquished. "One less..." he echoes. "One less of how many?"

Breidith lifts her nose from the rattling of the bucket, oblivious of the curious glances her nearby blue sibling is giving her. The morsels of meat are eagerly chewed, and she presses her forest hued form against Marila with gentle croons.

From the Sands> Shadara chuckles softly, "Aareisa, you're lifemate is hungry, that's why you seem to be so hungry, if you can please follow me to the weyrling room, T'dru will get you and Niaeth set up with food."

From the Sands> Gemini nods and wipes a hand across his face "Or they turn into dragonets.." another sigh "Think many are left?"

Miranor laughs aloud while bobbing her head. "I'll hold it still and you giggle it how you'd like, how's that," she wonders of Xiuth between the chuckles.

K'tor gets an oil paddle, slathering it on Albanth, and starting with the fork in his tail. "No. That's T'dru. He's like N'all, we have to listen to him. Let me get the itch first and we'll talk about it."

Raven laughs and hugs the dragon again. "Me too." she says with a broad smile.

From the Sands> "Somebody is hungry? I mean did I hear somebody is hungry, i am just thirsty, anyone have anything to drink, I mean I am really thirsty, can I go swimming, I mean I would love to go cool down." Craw says from his spot

Eilenth nudges Raven affectionately and croons happily. Eyes whirl as she looks around the other dragons and tentatively warbles to them.

From the Sands> Arliana straightens up, and shakes her head, "I don't know."

Marila wraps her arms about the green, "Do we oil you or bathe you, ohhhh Breidith are you still hungry?" She stays against the dragonet purely beaming.

From the Sands> Imara shrugs, "I honestly can't tell. The sands are much quieter, though. All I know is that a lot of people have left."

From the Sands> Tiarnath surveys the hatchlings with a proud gaze, wings furled along her back as she eases into a more comfortable crouch upon the sands, rumbling to her lifemate, who calls back a few quiet words over her shoulder. Tilting her head to better follow the hatchlings with aquamarine-tinted eyes, her hide gleams in the hazy cavern.

From the Sands> Nareisa just beams at the blue. "Well we'll get something, right now."

From the Sands> N'all's voice booms out from where his wide-brimmed hat is visible, "Silence, Babbler!"

Albanth heaves another of those halfway raspy sighs, settling close to his lifemate that his muzzle rests against the boy - keeping himself as physically close as he can without actually tromping K'tor. His croon as the oiling begins is a bright baritone, quite contrary to his whimsy a moment ago.

From the Sands> Cool Shaded Cavern Mirage Hatchling glides about, peering with red, glowing eyes, or is that just the glint of sunlight of the shards of the eggs? Whatever it is there's a breeze as it passes by, moving into another shadowed patch. It pauses in the shadow cast by Tiarnath, survaying the candidates as it lurks.

T'dru makes a circuit of the room, stopping here and there to check on the other new Weyrling's progress.

Raven smiles and reaches over to ladle herself a mug of water which she drinks presently as she watches Eilenth warble to the other dragons, her eyes flickering to them also.

You sense Albanth bespeaks you with << Ahh! There, there, K'tor! And my neckridges. Oh, how they itch! >>

From the Sands> K'laarn laughs deeply at N'all's adomination and then shakes his head, glancing over at Telinda worriedly as if to check on her, "You ok?" He asks, concern in his voice.

Niaeth moves over from the sizzling hot sands.
Niaeth has arrived.

"Always together! Always... nothing will be able to seperate us.." Marila is murmuring determinedly to her lifemate.

Auralia keeps hugging her lifemate tight, not sure whether to laugh, or to begin to cry again. "I never knew..." She mutters, softly. Iesath rumbles quietly in return.

Breidith nuzzles Marila, curling her hatchling gangly neck over the girls' shoulder. A moment of croons of delight, before the dragonet's hide ripples, just above her shoulder. Squak?

From the Sands> Craw goes quiet, not that he stops talking, he just talks alot quieter now, more of a muttered whispers that doesn't go to far in the hazing air.

K'tor ends up on his rear, lap full of bronze. He seems all arms and hands as he attends to Albanth's itchy spots. "Getting them. See? You should listen to T'dru. He knows what he talks about. He said you'd need oil before you napped."

From the Sands> Gemini startles as the booming voice come out of nowhere and takes a step forward. "shards.." is all he manages to mutter.

Xiuth watches the chunk of meat spin, then pokes it with his snout, causing it to spin and bob even faster. The blue flicks his tongue over the raw flesh, then lowers his head to snort at the ground in curiousity.

From the Sands> Snowy Wastes Ice Mirage Hatchling makes it's movement on the sands not as the sand of it's egg, but the cascading snow drifting across the frozen tundra. Amorphous as it moves -- condensing moisture around it one moment, then vanishing from the next. It is next to impossible to track it's movements as it answers the unheard call and searches for the unseen quarry.

Raven grins and looks over at Eilenth. "We are wearing these white things called robes because we didn't want to wear anything that might make us look different and attract you when we weren't the one you should bond to."

Marila looks about ready to jump out of her skin, she wails, "She itches!!!" She reaches out and starts to scratch at the spot on her dragonet that must be giving her the most trouble. Right on that shoulder.

From the Sands> Cool Shaded Cavern Mirage Hatchling seems to couch a bit before creeping forward, then diving back a bit as it nearly steps into a patch of sunlight. Suddenly it pauses once more, something on the sands has caught it's attention, freezing it in place for a moment.

From the Sands> The last few eggs shatter against each other in an explosion of shards, leaving two shadowy forms to totter around the sands as they search for their lifemates.

You sense Albanth paints you a very vivid mental picture, the images smooth and soft and shady - a velvety, cool twilighty, perfect for napping and certainly a respite from this heat. << Yes, yes, but I am so sleepy, K'tor. My lids are heavier than all the 'stone on Pern, I can scarce keep them open. >>

Nareisa wanders in accompanied by a midnight blue, looking very very dazed. "Here, somewhere, I think we'll get the food."

From the Sands> Cool Shaded Cavern Mirage Hatchling sneaks behind a candidate for the last time, then she stops at the feet of her lifemate. Her smooth, shallow-sea-green face no longer hidden in the shadows of a cavern mirage, no longer searching frantically, settles on Aidan.

Over the briny expanse of a shallow sea, storms wreak their vengeance -- tempestuous waters crashing against coral reefs in an effort to reach the shoreline where they conclude in a roar of pale foamy-greens that wash over the hide of this hatchling. Bubbles effervesce over her flanks, sparkling in lighter shades of green as they catch the light, whilst coral reefs of dark, metallic-greens rise above the surging waters of her flanks, her neckridges a trail of islands battered by the ocean's cold waters. From the murky darkness of her belly, tangled vines ensnare her legs, seeming to grasp tightly as they coil upwards, her muzzle caressed with the reed-smothered hues of a shallow bay. Clothing the seascape with muted shades, her wings are clouds of night slated-blues, wisps of smoky-greens billowing over leading edges, while the mainsails are lit with patches of emerald, as though brilliant flashes of light fell from the sky.

Breidith has her eyes wide open with alarm, as she squirms. Just as Marila's scratching fingers find just the right spot on her shoulder, her left hind leg twitches.

K'tor yawns. "Oil first. Really." He works to get said oil quickly and thickly applied. "Then sleep. Promise. You're too big for me to carry you."

Raven smiles at Eilenth. "I know, Eilenth. I love you too. I am different, but it's a human thing." she says, smiling a little.

From the Sands> Arliana whistles under her breath, and backs away from Aidan, "Guess you didn't need to see them after all."

Marila keeps scratching at Breidith, "What do I do? She's itching..." She looks about for some sort of help.

From the Sands> Gemini clears his eyes of the sweat and moans "All I can think of is some water.."

From the Sands> Imara blinks rapidly as sweat drips down her forehead. "What's going on?" she asks to the wavering heat.

Miranor's head tilts in equal curiousity to her lifemate's. "What is it," she wonders quietly and follows his gaze. A pause, a quiet chuckle and then she says, "Aaah. You're tired. Sleepy," she triese to explain. "You have everything you need now...for now...so your body wants to rest. That's how you grow," is noted while she scritches his eyeridges softly.

T'dru's circling of the room brings his progress back to Nareisa and Niaeth. "Food's in the buckets there. Oil's there." He points appropriately, making sure the now Weyrling follows the movement. Dark eyes regard her gravely, but with a slight twinkle in them, quietly pleased to see another new Impressee.

K'tor grins and offers, "Mari? Oil. Here." He nudges out the bucket of it with his foot. "Just cover her in it." Then he blinks, "Reisa! What's his name?"

Marila reaches about with her other arm towards a spot on the green's haunches, "I um think you itch because you are growing. " She scratches some more. Her arms wrapped about the dragon as she moves both her hands.

From the Sands> Snowy Wastes Ice Mirage Hatchling continues its trek, this time appearing as the tumbling block of ice skidding down the side of the mountain. It is almost possible to visualize the tantalizing trail of moisture it leaves behind, moisture that would soothe the most parched of throats. A siren's call beckoning relief from the oppressive heat. However, this vaporous shape has only person that it can quench. It fades in and out as it moves towards a group of Candidates.

From the Sands> A single rivulet of tears begins its descent down his cheek, followed by several other. A hand reaches out, going around the hatchling as a smile lights his face. "No, I -won't- ever be alone again, Taesyth..." he murmurs.

Albanth looks rather like he expects K'tor to carry him anyway, his neck draping over the boy's shoulder and his head hanging rather limply on the other side as he leans into his lifemate. A soft, contented croon escapes him, reddish bronze lids slipping closed one layer at a time even as his unwatched tail snakes dangerously toward the oil bucket.

From the Sands> Courtesty of A'dan

Raven nods, smiling to the green. "All riders are human things." she says and then smiles. "Anyone who looks remotely like me is human." she says, after thinking a bit.

Nareisa ohyeahs, grabbing something from the bucket for her blue. "He's Niaeth," she says proudly, like there could be any doubt.

From the Sands> Shadara chuckles and grins, "Welcome to the ranks of the green weyrlings a'dan, if you'll please follow me, we'll get you settled with the rest of your clutchsiblings."

Marila finally hears K'tor, "What did you say?"

From the Sands> Gemini blinks "Taesyth..sounds like another has impressed.." and he licks his lips thirstily.

From the Sands> Tiarnath watches this, her last unpaired hatchling, try and determine if there's anyone suitable on the sands. As it wanders around, she nudges her lifemate gently, directing her attention towards the little one, and croons as both it, and Telinda, watch eager, hopeful with anticipation.

Niaeth snuffles at Nareisa, becoming impatient as the meat becomes so tantalyzingly close.

K'tor is too wrapped up in the delight of a lap full of bronze to notice the tail and the pail of oil. He grins at Reisa. "He's got some great coloring." Then he nods over to Mari. "Oil her, Mari. Just drench her in it."

From the Sands> A'dan chuckles softly. "Of course, Tae, yes we can eat. The goo itches? We'll get it off you very soon!" He looks up to Shadara, nodding numbly as he stands, slowly following the assistant weyrlingmaster.

Xiuth leans into the scritching, crooning softly though it's occasionally interrupted by a maw-stretching yawn. Another snorting sniffle of the ground is given, then the blue rests his snout against the hem of Miranor's robe, contentment practically oozing from him.

From the Sands> Snowy Wastes Ice Mirage Hatchling seems to come to a stop, if such a vague shape can bee seen to move or stop. Where it stops is in front of a young man, relief is so close, for both of them.

Breidith wriggles and squirms under Marila's attentions, her voice rising in creels. She itches!

From the Sands> Imara nods, "It seems like so many have left. There can't be many more of us."

Nareisa offers the meat to Niaeth quickly. "But you can't eat too much," she says urgently. She heard that SOMEWHERE.

From the Sands> Snowy Wastes Ice Mirage Hatchling slides across the sands, on a trail of slippery melt or, wavering light, it's hard to discern. His speed picks up, tracing towards a chosen candidate, standing before him in white robe. With each heartbeat, layers of ice and snow melt from his form, leaving in the end a desert bronze hatchling, gazing up into Craw's eyes.

Like a mirage -- gentle images formed from the refracted glaring heat of the sun over desert dunes -- waves of bronze shimmer across the hide of this hatchling, tempering rich sandstone with golden fire. Stony red-browns shade his flanks, ripples of copper winding sinuously through the rocky surface, as if heat waves emanated from his hide to set deposits of metal ore to shine in a shaft of sunlight. The flickering flames of a roaring conflagration burnishes his head in the many varied hues of bronze -- from a dark, sun-kissed bronze to a paler, golden bronze -- before tipping each sculpted ridge on the way to his tail. Gilt edges his pinions, muting through the spectrum as they make their way over his wings towards the deeper, lustrous bronzes -- appearing a deep red at his trailing edges, and shadowed like the folds of a garment.

From the Sands> Arliana shuffles across the sands, slowly eys looking back and forth until she comes upon a small knot of candidates still standing and watching.

Marila blinks as she takes up some of the oil, "Are you sure I don't bathe her first.. oooooh.." This is upsetting her, her dragon itches... hers! She does the only thing she can and uses the paddle to start smearing the oil on the green, "Is this right?"

From the Sands> N'all emits a low groan, and looks at K'laarn, "you sure this weyrlingmaster thing is for life?"

Albanth actually sounds like he's snoring, his smokey voice ringing with each raspy inhale and exhale. He simply can't be asleep, though, for his forked tail is getting farther and farther around the pail, a nice grip, so to speak.

Niaeth seems to inhale the offered meat, then creels for more almost before he's finished.

Raven nods to Eilenth. "Yeah! You are so smart Eilenth!" she says, rubbing Eilenth's neck.

A'dan strides over from the sizzling hot sands.
A'dan has arrived.

Nareisa hms, offering another piece of meat. "How much is too much?" the question seems directed at weyrlingmaster types.

Miranor continues to rub Xiuth with an easy touch, exuding a mixture of wonder, surprise and love as she finally begins to focus on all the other gathering within the cavern. "Congrats everyone," she calls and then lets her eyes fall back to the young blue near-dozing on her. "That's right. If you're tired, you can sleep. I will be here when you wake up."

K'tor soothes an eyeridge, as he looks back at his lifemate. His expression is completely besotted. "Looks like I may have to carry you after all." He extends a bronze wing, oiling it carefully.

Breidith immediately ceases her squirming, as oil is slathered on the worst of the itchy spots. Her breath is let out in a long hufffffff, as she turns still alarmed eyes to watch.

From the Sands> C'ley looks at the lifemate and then says "Oh, Sahath, you are hungry, I mean you are hungry arn't you, I mean wow, are you okay, I mean uhm we should get you feed, I mean uhm...."

From the Sands> Shadara blinks as she hmmms, seeing Craw's impression, "Well now, young man, if you can please join A'dan in following me, we'll get you settled so you can get your lifemate fed."

C'ley walks over from the sizzling hot sands.
C'ley has arrived.

Raven giggles and nods to Eilenth. "You are the smartest dragon ever! And you are so perfect!" she says, smiling at the dragon, her eyes very loving.

From the Sands> N'all nods to Telinda and K'laarn, and as he leaves, he scowls at C'ley.

Marila relaxes as her dragon stops squirming, she continues to slather, "Does this help love? Does it?" She chews her bottom lip as she works.

N'all strides over from the sizzling hot sands.
N'all has arrived.

Taesyth moves over from the sizzling hot sands.
Taesyth has arrived.

Shadara walks over from the sizzling hot sands.
Shadara has arrived.

N'all walks in from the sands, cursing under his breath, he finishes his mug and sets it down, "Well, what a fine lot I've got this time."

N'all looks at Shadara and T'rdu, "I honestly don't think I can do anything with them, but I must try."

T'dru starts that restless pacing up again, neatly avoiding excited Weyrlings and dragonets in various stages of excitement or sleepiness. A quick pause by Marila and he nods as he watches her, "That's it. Just spread it on smoothly." Continuing the pacing, he circles back towards Nareisa. "Too full feels well, too full to you right now." He pats his stomach, "I always felt like I had to belch really hard the first few times Duirath ate and that's when I knew to stop...when I had that feeling." A slight smile goes to her.

Sahath moves over from the sizzling hot sands.
Sahath has arrived.

Albanth manages to get his tail up over the lip of the bucket, dipping a curious tail into the surface of the oil and then withdrawing it at once. Tiny splatters of oil follow, and the ruddy bronze peeks open his lids to watch where they land, fascinated.

A'dan looks fondly down at Taesyth, caressing the green's eyeridges. "Yes, Tae, of course! I'll get you food soon."

Marila continues her smearing, "Oh good love.. I'm glad... of course.." She adds some more following her dragonet's instructions, "Right there?"

T'dru looks over at N'all with one raised brow, a bit of a grin forming as he looks at Shadara, "Didn't he say that about us too?"

N'all glares at T'dru.

From the Sands> Telinda sighs as she looks around, wiping a hand across her sweaty brow, "I always hate this part" she says, putting a hand on K'laarn's arm.

Nareisa ohs. "Right," muttering to herself. She almost misses N'all's grumbling, continuing to offer meat. Maybe she does miss it.

Breidith leeeaaannns sinto the ministrations of /her/ Marila, her voice now lowered into little croons of satisfaction. Subtle motions guide the oil paddle to just where it's needed the most.

K'tor winces as the oil flies dangerously close to N'all. "Albanth, ah. The weyrlingmaster doesn't need oil."

Auralia's fingertips dance over dried hide, and she gazes into the sleepy greens hide with a look of pure joy. "Always, love."

You sense Albanth bespeaks you with << How do you know that? He looks chapped and parched, very dry. >>

N'all paces around, "Okay, first off all, congratulations. You've now proved that anyone can Impress, and hatchlings have absolutely no sense. But then, what infants do. Now, it is my job to prepare you in the turns ahead. But first, I want to say something."

Marila doesn't even hear N'all. Guess where her eyes and ears are. Only on one thing and one alone. She continues to smooth on the oil, "You are beautiful love."

From the Sands> Gemini looks about and wipes his forehead again.

K'tor opens his mouth to answer his lifemate, and then closes as N'all speaks. he murmurs, under his breath, "Just trust me. he doesn't need oiling."

T'dru gives N'all a goodhumored look and finds a wall to lean against so he can listen somewhere out of the way of dragonets and flying oil.

Auralia looks up to N'all, having guessed exactly who he means. She nods, ready to listen.

Xiuth has fallen into a quick doze, his muzzle resting on Miranor's lap. Easing his head onto his forelegs, she contiues to scritch his eyeriders. She quickly looks up at N'all and listens.

C'ley uhms and then goes to where the food is, "Uhm, coming through, uhm, hello, uhm, food I need food, lots of food. Uhm, ohh.' Craw, err C'ley pauses when N'all starts to talk.

Niaeth snorts into his meat -- whether he's reacting to N'all is anyone's guess.

From the Sands> Imara looks around. "It's stopped. They're all gone..." She sighs, "I hate being right."

Albanth withdraws his tail, then, leaving a glittering streak of oil on the floor as he slides it over to rest beside his boy. Oiled and full and content, he lays his head in K'tor's lap again, whuffling a sleepy yawn.

Shadara grins and chuckles, "We'll do our best to help make them into worthy riders

K'tor soothes eyeridges as he forces his attention back to N'all.

From the Sands> K'laarn glances over at N'all and mmms. "Well, Weyrlingmasters can retire you know." He grins magnanimously.

Nareisa watches Niaeth and his eating with a sort of anxious motherly expression. Where she learnt that is anyone's guess. "Hm?" not even his mood can dampen hers.

N'all seems to expect the fact that he's not going to be listened to, "The first thing I'm going to tell you is this, I don't like you. I don't like you because you're not going to listen to me." Here he looks at Marila, "ANd when you don't listen to me, you're going to make mistakes. In this life, mistakes mean death, so the first rule is, LISTEN!" His voice booms out, loud and clear.

From the Sands> K'laarn nods at Telinda and waits for the furor to come before he advances toward the remaining candidates, gesturing for them to gather with sweeps of his arms. Compassion marks his face as he looks over them all.

Miranor winces slightly. Even Xiuth stirs slightly, but does not awaken. A nod is offered despite the fact the Weyrlingmaster can't possibly see it.

K'tor automatically shields Albanth's head from the weyrlingmaster, his attention still fixed on the rider.

Marila blinks up at N'all, with a wild sort of panic. Oh well here it comes again , Breidith scared it out of her and now he's scared it back. Hiccup.

From the Sands> Gemini crosses his arms over his chest and nods at Imara "Me too.." then does as Weyrleader indicates.

Breidith glances up from her eyed contemplation of the wonders of oil, at N'all's voice.

From the Sands> Arliana makes her way over to K'laarn, her hands firmly clasped behind her back once more.

Nareisa's attention is divided between worriedly making sure Niaeth eats enough but not too much, and listening to her brother intone such horrid things as 'death'. Death is bad.

C'ley looks at his lifemate for a moment with eyes wide but then shrugs but keeps his mouth shut.

From the Sands> Imara slowly makes her way toward K'laarn with uncertain steps.

Raven listens and stands close against Eilenth, never wanting to lose her and pays attention.

Eilenth looks at the Weyrlingmaster and then looks at Raven. Hrmmm.

N'all finds another pair to fix with his gaze, "So ... tonight, we're going to feast to celebrate your impression, after your lifemates have been fed and are asleep for the night. From now on, I am your mother, I am your father, I am your sister, I am your brother." Here he looks at Nareisa, "I am not your friend, I am not your pal, I am not your buddy. I am your weyrlingmaster, and my word is law, understood?"

Raven strokes the green's neck soothingly. "He's a man we need to listen to very carefully. You don't have to like him, but do what he says." she says to Eilenth and nods a little at N'all's words.

Sahath looks at the Weyrlingmaster and emits a slight hiss.

From the Sands> Heat shimmers the air, sweat making a mess of everyone's features. Red cheeks and pasty skin make an unappetizing crowd to watch this Hatching. Here and there, drudges move through the Galleries, offering iced drinks and cool finger-foods to keep the spectators a bit more comfortable.

From the Sands> The definite wobble of an emerging hatchling stirs the Unforgotten Smoke Egg, which suddenly splits lengthwise down its middle, falling away around a wide-eyed blue dragonet. The hatchling sits there blinking for a few moments, then shakes himself off and surveys the nearest Candidates. His selection is instantaneous - blue head rubbed against a red-haired girl's middle with a croon of adoration.

Auralia starts, having not quite expected this. Ienath moves, not sure what is going on, and Auri touches her lightly, to calm her down.

Albanth fwips his oily tail lightly, sending more spatters everywhere as N'all speaks.

C'ley shakes his head and then scritches his lifemates nexk reasurringly at least he this it is reasurringly.

Miranor's head again bobs, almost unconciously, at the Weyrlingmaster's tone and words. Xiuth does not stir this time. He looks the part of sated dragonette pretty well.

From the Sands> K'laarn lets out the softest of sighs, then smiles, "I hope everyone is okey?" He questions, sincere. He looks into the faces of each candidate still here for the answer. "You are all welcome to stay, here at our Weyr, if you want. To make it your home." He licks dry lips, musing before he says, "I know how important to day was to all of you, how exciting it was, and then disappointing. We're disappointed for you too. Your lifemate just hasn't hatched yet -- that is the way we like to look at it. Hopefully, in the future.. that special dragon -will- hatch for you. Each and every one of you here. If you do wish to leave, however, let me know, or The Weyrwoman, and we'll arrange for you to journey back."

Theida gives Ysabeth a gentle caress as she listens to N'all's spreech.

Marila whispers to Breidith as she looks to N'all listening too, "That's *hiccup* N'all and bronze Ceruth's rider. He's the weyrlingmaster, we have to listen to him.." She touches the little green, "I do it went I get scared love its a hiccup.."

N'all looks around, "Okay, now, let's all get moved into the weyrling barracks and get your lifemates settled."

Nareisa pauses in lifemate-stuffing, eyes returning to the saucer-round look she's been perfecting all day. She's done a wonderful job learning it too. See? Eyes are huge. She just nods. It's hard to imagine a weyrling less likely to cause trouble.

N'all looks around, "Let's MOVE, people."

N'all strides over to the Weyrling Barracks.
N'all has left.

From the Sands> Telinda nods, echoing K'laarn's words, "We hope you will stay, we'll need some new help around the weyr now that all our candidates are no more."

From the Sands> Gemini nods "I'm staying..I think.." He murmurs low and wipes at his neack.